Regression
by Pleurez Mes Yeux
Summary: The Orichalcos has claimed Yugi's soul. What are the implications of this loss regarding the pharaoh and the ties binding him to the puzzle? Rating for language and safety.
1. Chapter 1

**So, like everyone out there who loves angst, I wanted to try a story that deals with Yami losing Yugi to the Orichalcos. This is going to be a multi-chapter fic. I guess I'm not sure how many chapters it's going to end up being, but I plan for it to go until Dartz and his Leviathan are defeated. Anyway, I guess this is technically AU since there are going to be deviations from canon (namely Yugi's absence having implications regarding the puzzle)? Not sure if that's a big enough difference for this to really be called AU, though I guess it's not that important.**

**Reviews would be loved. This is both my first intentional multi-chapter story-" It Doesn't Suit You" was originally intended as a one-shot-and my first one that deals with more than two or three characters at a time. Since this is kind of new territory, your thoughts would be appreciated. I really do try to take comments into consideration!**

**But I guess that's enough from me. I hope you enjoy the first chapter!**

**~Pleurez**

"Yugi! You can't!" His fists beat furiously at the green barrier closing in around the shorter duelist. He had to break through… He couldn't allow this to continue.

A scream tore from the pharaoh's throat as the seal claimed Yugi's soul.

White-hot pain coursed through him, as if every nerve ending in his body had been set ablaze, as the true owner of the body he currently inhabited was violently torn away. He fell to his knees, vision blurring. Even the fiery blast of Ra was nothing compared to the agony that held the spirit in its grasp.

And then there was nothing.

He fell to the ground and the world went black.

It would have been easier if it had stayed that way.

When he woke on the other side of the canyon, the pain was gone, leaving in its wake a great, gaping void.

"Alright! How'd ya do it?"

Joey's gleeful shout made Yami feel physically ill.

"Hey! What's wrong?"

_Aibou!_

He searched desperately for the link that bound his soul to Yugi's.

Nothing.

The air was driven from his lungs. He gasped for breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "Yugi," he rasped. His entire body shook with the force of the tears he couldn't contain. "Yugi is gone."

His legs gave out.

He couldn't stand. He couldn't think. He couldn't process anything beyond the crushing refrain of _It should have been me_. He slammed his fist into the ground. He'd failed. He'd failed in the most catastrophic way imaginable, and Yugi had been the one to pay the price.

Joey's eyes narrowed.

"Well you're not gonna get him back sitting there feelin' sorry for yourself!"

Yami barely heard him.

A low growl rumbled in his throat. He reached down and snatched the collar of the pharaoh's shirt, hauling him to his feet. "Get a _grip_, man! If they've really got Yugi, let's go _do something about it_!" He raised a hand as if he was going to strike.

Yami turned empty, crimson eyes to the taller duelist. His gaze flicked to his balled fist, and then he turned his head, waiting for whatever punishment Yugi's friend decided to dish out. He deserved all of it, and far worse.

"Hey! Knock it off," Tristan cut in, taking hold of Joey's arm. "That's not going to help anything!"

Joey released the smaller man, scoffing as the pharaoh fell backwards. "Fine! If _you're_ not going to try to save Yugi, _I will_."

"Come on. Get up." Tristan's tone was more sedate than Joey's. The spirit was in a state of shock—shouting wasn't going to help. Instead, he urged Yami to his feet and onto the horse. In retrospect, putting him on the animal instead of in the car probably wasn't the best idea… His grip on the reins was loose and his eyes remained downcast and unfocused.

But he was the only one of them with any clue how to ride and they couldn't all fit in the car.

So he figured he'd just keep an eye on him on the trip back. At least that way they could pull over if he fell or lost control of the horse.

A shiver ran down Yami's spine. It was so unnaturally vacant without Yugi. He'd grown so accustomed to sharing a body that inhabiting one with just a single mind was maddening. It was hard to focus without another presence—the hollowness was all consuming.

So much so that he hadn't even realized they'd returned to their camp until the horse reared, startled by the sudden stop of the car in front of it. He snatched at the reins, just barely able to keep himself from sliding off the animal's back.

"You're back!"

It was Tea who ran out to greet them first, Rebecca following close on her heels. Her eyes were bright as she grinned, "See, Rebecca? I told you they'd be fine!" But the closer she got, the more she slowed, coming to a halt several meters away the car.

"Is… Is everything alright?"

Joey's eyes were downcast and Tristan looked from the blond duelist to Yami, running a hand through his hair, trying to determine the best way to keep them away from each other. Joey was pissed—had had a right to be, certainly. He'd just seen his best friend's soul snatched away. But the pharaoh… He could barely function, and letting Joey take out his anger on the spirit wasn't going to fix anything.

"They got him," Joey spat. He shoved the car door open. "They got Yugi."

Rebecca rolled her eyes impatiently. "What do you mean? He's standing right there!" Before anyone could stop her, she bounded over to the pharaoh, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I knew you could do it, Yugi! _My_ Yugi _always_ wins!"

Yami froze.

Tea took a cautious step forward. "Rebecca, wait."

"What's the matter Yugi? Why are you acting so weird?"

"I am not Yugi, Rebecca."

Her eyes grew impossibly wide. "What?" Her head jerked up, meeting eyes that were crimson rather than purple. Her hands balled into fists and she beat them against the spirit's chest. "You _lost him_? How could you? You bring him back! You bring him back _right now!_"

Her blows didn't hurt. Yami wished they did. He would have deserved it—it was only because of his foolishness that Yugi had been taken.

Finally, she shoved him away. "It's not _fair_! It should've been you!" She let out a sob as she turned to Tea for comfort. "It should have been him," she cried.

"Now that's not fair, Rebecca," Tea sighed even as she stroked the girl's hair. "I—"

"She is right, Tea."

"For fuck's sake, _snap out of it_," Joey snarled, rounding on Yami. "Your pity party isn't helping anything."

Tristan placed himself between the two men. "You… You should rest." He began to herd the pharaoh inside, away from the commotion. "We'll all be thinking more clearly later." It had been a trying day for everyone. They were all tired, and they were all reeling from the loss of Yugi. The best thing they could do was take some time to process everything.

Left to his own devices, the pharaoh picked up on a faint voice whispering in the back of his mind. His heart sped up. _Yugi_, he called tentatively, hardly daring to hope that somehow the link between himself and his charge had remained intact.

The voice answered with a wicked chuckle. _Not quite, pharaoh_.

Yami drew in a sharp breath. The shadows from the puzzle. The ones that had tormented him in his captivity until Yugi had set him free…

_The master's gone, _pharaoh_. So. How long can you resist?_

A dark tendril wound its way around the spirit's soul, slithering across it in a mockery of a caress. _We've missed you_.

Yami's heart raced and any color that remained had drained from his face. "N-no," he rasped.

_Yes._

He pulled his knees to his chest, unable to bite back a strangled sob. He'd failed. But worse, it would seem that the time he had to rectify his error was even more limited than he'd imagined.


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter two. It's kind of exposition, setting things in motion. I thought about just skipping this part, but I wanted to get Kaiba involved. They'll be on the train and Yami'll deal with Weevil in the next chapter! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter even if there's not a huge amount of action.**

**Read and review, please!**

**~Pleurez**

Kaiba's headache increased tenfold as Mokuba told him the geek squad was trying to contact him. He _should_ have ignored it. He had enough on his hands already—there was no time for nonsense, especially not their particular brand of idiocy. But, he also knew just how relentless they could be.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed, "Let's see what they want. The sooner we get rid of them, the better."

Mokuba couldn't help but roll his eyes as Joey appeared on the computer screen, standing so close to the webcam that barely half his face was visible.

"Hey, Kaiba! You there?"

"It works better if you step _away_ from the screen," Mokuba sighed. He hoped Joey made it fast—he estimated they were about five seconds away from a Seto explosion.

"Make it fast, Wheeler."

The blond duelist backed away, though he remained in the front of the group. "Yugi lost a duel to one of those crazy biker guys and now they've got his soul. And we need a lift on your jet so we can go get him back."

Seto's nostrils flared.

"Four," Mokuba mumbled under his breath.

He fixed his eyes on Yugi in the background. He looked awful—hunched shoulders, eyes on the floor…

"Three…"

The CEO's eyes widened briefly just before he slammed his first down on the desk.

"Two..."

"Yugi _lost_," he snarled, standing and glaring daggers into the monitor.

"One."

"He _lost_ to some _nobody_?" His focus remained locked on his rival. Yugi wasn't just defeated. He was _destroyed_. That was unacceptable! Yugi was _his_ rival—if anyone was going to make him look like that, it should have been Kaiba.

"Kaiba, please…"

"Not. Another. Word," the CEO ground out. He didn't think it was possible for Yugi to sound so _weak_—it was as if he were begging. And it just pissed him off more.

"Seto?" Mokuba's brow furrowed. "Don't you think—"

"You're a fucking disgrace, Yugi," he spat. There was no reaction. No biting retort, not even a spark in his rival's eyes. "Fucking _pathetic!_" He slammed the laptop shut, ending the conversation.

"Seto!" Mokuba folded his arms across his chest, giving an exasperated sigh. "Seto, don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Let's go, Mokuba." Now he had just one more reason to track down those goons. He'd take the title from them, first. Then he'd come back and pound Yugi into the ground for good measure.

"Excuse me." Yami's soft voice broke the silence. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to stumble as he turned to walk away. Invisible wisps curled around his ankles, weighing down his feet. He felt as if he were trying to trudge through a swamp…

Tea caught his wrist. "Yami, wait!"

His eyes grew wide and he felt a tightness creeping down his neck and spreading across his shoulders.

"You can't just _give up_," she insisted.

"Kaiba's an ass," Joey said, folding his arms across his chest. "He's _always_ been an ass. You've never let it get to you before."

Yami looked away. Kaiba had never been _right_ before. But that was beside the point—Kaiba wasn't the issue.

"So you fucked up. It doesn't matter! We're gonna fix it and get Yugi back!" There was a fire in the other duelist's eyes. But they were also searching, clouded with uncertainty.

He wanted—no, _expected_—Yami to be the one to lead the charge. They all did. And why shouldn't they? He'd always managed to pull through in the past. But this time… This time it was different, though the pharaoh didn't dare say so—afford to further shake their faith in him.

He forced a smile. "I have not given up. We will bring him back."

_Not soon enough, Pharaoh_, a voice purred in the back of his mind. He winced as he felt the shadows tighten around his ankles, crawling up his legs.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Rebecca piped up, "I can book flights, and there's a train that goes right to the airport." Even she sounded tired. The anger had subsided, taking with it all the adrenaline-fueled energy and leaving in its wake a draining sadness. "If you don't bring him back, I'll never forgive you," she murmured under her breath, not really intending for Yami to hear it. As much as she wanted to hate him, she found she just didn't have it in her to keep it up.

"We must hurry." The pharaoh suppressed another shudder.

Tea offered an encouraging smile. "That's the spirit!"

Yami finally fled with the excuse that they needed to ensure all their things were in order before they could leave. On his own, he sank to the floor, closing his eyes. "I am not yours," he murmured, trying to drive away the darkness with the sheer force of his will. "Be _gone_!"

He scratched at his ankles furiously, as if there were a physical tether that he could force away.

_You should know better than that, _Pharaoh_. Or have you forgotten the last three thousand years?_

He grit his teeth, wishing he could shield his mind from the wicked chuckle that seemed to resonate through his entire body.


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's chapter three-Yami's duel with Weevil. I left out Joey's duel with Rex, since to me it kind of seemed like filler to drag the episodes out longer and I didn't think including it would add anything to this story. I'll admit, I don't go into much detail with the actual duel. I don't duel-I had cards as a kid, but I didn't have anyone to play with so I never learned the game. So basically if I did go into detail, it would've just been regurgitation of what happened in the anime since I don't know the cards or really understand the rules, and that would be boring. I hope the Yami tormenting makes up for the lack of detail on the duel! That, as usual, is present in abundance. ;)**

**As always, reviews would be much appreciated!**

**~Pleurez**

The cold had begun to set in. It hit Yami hard, settling deep into his bones and he felt as if the blood in his hands and feet had frozen. They were so cold it burned. And it would spread, he knew, until it overtook him completely.

He sat on the train with his hands folded in his lap, carefully out of sight. He balled them into fists, hoping that if he squeezed them tightly enough he could stop their trembling. His jaw clenched as Tea continued to talk.

She was a dear friend, but the spirit had to wonder if she _ever_ ran out of words.

He didn't want to talk. And he _especially_ didn't want to talk about beaches or her forgotten swimsuit. How could such things even cross her mind with Yugi gone?

He stood.

"Forgive me, Tea."

His first step nearly saw him thrown off balance. The weight of the shackles the shadows had fashioned only grew heavier with time. But the train had jolted a bit, saving him from having to explain. He squeezed his eyes shut.

They couldn't know.

They were looking to him. If he lost their faith, the search for Yugi's soul would fall to pieces.

He retreated to an empty compartment, his movements stilted. "_Damn_ it," he hissed, slamming his fist into the wall. His legs slid out from beneath him.

It was happening faster than he could have expected. Why wasn't the train going faster?

_Get ready for eternity, _pharaoh_. Once his soul is fed to the leviathan, it's gone forever._

His breaths grew shallow. No reincarnation… If he failed, the power to solve the puzzle would die…

Yami wrapped his arms around himself, as if by holding on tightly enough he could stop himself from falling to pieces. He couldn't _do_ this. He was so afraid…

_No light. No hope. No escape._

"Leave," the pharaoh snarled, though it was in vain. No amount of will could banish the darkness—that power lived with Yugi and Yugi alone.

"Pharaoh?"

He was jerked from his misery by a frantic call from outside.

The train jerked sharply.

Dragging himself to his feet, he called, "Tea? Joey? Is everything alright?" He shoved the door open, trudging down the corridor.

"The train's a trap," Joey spat. "And we walked right into it."

The pharaoh's eyes widened.

"No. There has to be a way out."

He bolted towards the front. They couldn't afford a setback. There wasn't _time_.

"Pharaoh!"

Tea took off after him.

The train made an awful, creaking sound as he moved from one car to the next. "Pharaoh, wait!"

But the damage had been done.

She could only watch as the cars separated, taking the pharaoh ever farther from them.

He turned, stretching an arm out.

She jumped, but by the time he caught her they were too far away for their friends to follow. "Get help," she called. They were moving too fast… They needed to stop the train, and soon. She turned, looking for Yami, but he was already gone, climbing up to the top of the train.

"Hey, wait!"

He struggled. His muscles screamed as he dragged himself higher, his frigid fingers struggling to maintain their grip. Crimson eyes remained fixed on his destination. If he looked down, he feared that would be the end of him, and the end of any hope of rescuing his other half.

"Be careful!" Tea's hand shot out, resting on his leg to steady him. She climbed up behind him with far more skill than he could have managed, both her height and the athleticism that came with being a dancer working in her favor.

He was grateful for her support as she drew closer, moving herself into a more stable position so she could help him along. He wouldn't admit it just yet, but without her there he may not have made it to the top.

But there was no time to catch his breath. He needed to keep moving—to find an emergency hatch somewhere.

He moved with a single-minded determination, eyes flashing as he found his path blocked.

"Weevil!" A feral growl rumbled in his throat. "_Move_."

"Now, now, Pharaoh. You might want to be a little nicer." His eyes flashed and his face split into a toothy grin. "That is, if you ever want to see Yugi again."

A snarl. "What do you know?"

"Ah, ah, ah. Patience, _Pharaoh_." He lifted his arm. "If you want any information, you'll have to duel me first."

"We don't have time for this, roach," Tea snapped.

Yami shoved his deck into his duel disk. There was no choice—there was no reasoning with him. "If I find you've lied to me, maggot," he hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Weevil ignored the warning. "I think I'll start things off. And what better way than with _this_?" He held up a magic card with a painfully familiar, green hexagram. "The Seal of Orichalcos!"

"Weevil you can't! If you play that card, you'll _both_ be in danger!"

"No one asked you, Tea," Weevil sniped.

The card activated, bathing the dueling field in its eerie, green glow.

"You're making a mistake."

"Am I, Pharaoh? If I recall, _you_ played this card in your last duel, didn't you? The one that sealed Yugi away forever?" He smirked. "You're just afraid because someone _else_ wields its power now." His eyes traveled to Yami's hands. The spirit couldn't keep back the tremors anymore…

He used his other hand to grip the one holding his cards, willing it to stop shaking. "_Weevil_".

"Stop stalling and make your move!"

He scrutinized the cards in his hand. He needed to end this duel fast—his strength was already beginning to fail against the endless assault of the shadows. He wouldn't be able to hold out with the Seal draining his energy for very long.

"I summon Celtic Guardian! Destroy his monster!"

"Pharaoh, no! His facedown card!"

His head jerked to the side as Tea shouted. He grit his teeth—it was too late to call of the attack. He hissed in frustration at his own foolishness. In his haste to end the duel, he'd acted rashly. He couldn't _afford_ to make mistakes like that!

Weevil positively radiated glee. "You've activated my trap! Watch as my insects infect your monster."

As the duel progressed, Yami's life points dwindled while Weevil's remained largely untouched. And he was weakening. The shadows ran amok, taking advantage of the draining effects of the seal to further their attack on his spirit. They encircled his legs as if they were chains, and the chill began to spread. The tremors of his hands grew more intense, slowly spreading to his arms, making it gradually more difficult for the pharaoh to process which cards he held.

And for his part, Weevil seemed to smell his frailty. "I almost feel bad for you." He reached into his pocket, holding up a card. "So I'll throw you a bone. _I_ know where Yugi's being held. And the secrets to freeing him are on _this_ card."

"H-hand it over," Yami spat, struggling to beat back the chill.

"My, my. What manners," the bug duelist scoffed. "Should have said _please._"

The pharaoh took a step forward to take the card, gasping at the strength it took to move with the darkness binding him.

"Too late."

His heart stopped as the card was torn, the sound of tearing paper echoing the shredding of his very soul. "_Viper_," he snarled. His entire body felt like a tightly wound spring. Rules of the duel be damned, the moment he made his way across the field his hands were going to be around the maggot's neck.

Weevil's eyes widened in fear. He'd gone too far.

"Don't you know a joke when you see one!" He held up the two halves of a common insect monster.

The murderous rage didn't leave the pharaoh's eyes. "You'll pay for that Weevil. You'll pay _dearly_." He drew a card, face darkening with malice. He placed his monster on the field, heart racing as he cleared the cards on Weevil's side of the field. "You're defenseless."

The other duelist scrutinized the field. Then, a grin broke out across his face. "It doesn't matter!" He jumped in excitement, cackling madly. "All your monsters have attacked! Your turn's done, and my venomous moth's effect will wipe out the rest of your life points!"

A dark chuckle.

"Not quite." He held up a magic card. "This card allows any one of my monsters to attack for every monster card I draw from my deck, as long as it has fifteen hundred attack points or less." His eyes fell on the monster he'd just weakened. "Let's try your luck, shall we?"

A monster was discarded and Weevil shrieked as his monster launched another direct attack.

Another monster.

His opponent's life points ticked down to zero, but the pharaoh drew again. "Oh, dear. This just _isn't_ your day." The same attack was launched again and again.

He delighted in the pained cries of his opponent. The duel was over, but Yami wasn't finished. He wanted to make Weevil suffer just as much as he had when that card was torn.

"Pharaoh!" Tea bounded over to him. "Pharaoh, stop it! You've won. It's over!" She took hold of his hand, but jerked back instantly, frightened eyes trying to meet Yami's. "You're… You're like ice," she breathed.

He ignored her, prowling over to his fallen foe. He snatched at his shirt, snarling, "Tell me! Tell me where Yugi is!" He shook the boy's limp body.

"It's no use." She crouched beside Weevil, saying softly, "The Seal's got his soul. He's gone."

Yami's instinct was to cast him aside and leave him. He didn't share Yugi's altruism—the insect had harmed him, so he owed him nothing. But, he couldn't help but hope that somehow they could extract the information they needed from him. He moved to grab the boy's body, but in that instant the train lurched.

It gave a sickening groan and tipped to the side, sliding off the cliff and descending into the abyss.


	4. Chapter 4

**So here's chapter four. I went into a little more detail with the duel, but I did cut it back as much as I could. I guess it seems unnecessary, since you all know what happens, anyway. Though Yugi's dialogue is so scathing that I included some of it just for the sake of the Tami/Yugi interaction. Anyway, there are a few deviations from canon here. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**Read and review, please!**

**~Pleurez**

Yami thrashed in his sleep.

"_The Seal only needs to take one of us_"

His arms shot out, scrabbling against an invisible barrier.

_Green light closing in around Yugi. The boy's sad smile…_

"No!"

He shot up, soaked in a cold sweat. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Was it… Was it all a dream," he wondered aloud. But as the adrenaline faded, he became painfully aware of the cold that had spread further along his arms and legs.

_Soon, Pharaoh_, a voice hissed.

His hands flew to the puzzle. The pieces were looser than they had been. He could feel them shifting as he ran his fingers along the metal.

"Tea! Tea, wake up!"

She shifted.

"Tea, we have to leave _now_." They were running out of time…

A shadow fell across the tent.

Crismon eyes widened as they fell upon a white wolf standing in the opening, jaws parted and tongue lolling out. "No!" He moved to fling himself between the beast and Yugi's friend, but his movements were too slow. The beast descended upon her.

He struggled towards her, reaching out to grab the animal's fur. But then he heard… laughing? His brow furrowed in confusion. "Tea?"

"Skye! That's no way to treat guests!" A child's voice sounded from the entrance to the tent. The wolf retreated, trotting over to a young girl. "I'm sorry if he woke you," she said, pigtails whirling around behind her as she turned to pat her pet on the head.

"Who are you?" It was Tea who spoke—Yami was more concerned with getting up and on their way.

"Name's Chris. I'll go tell Grandpa you're awake!"

"Please, we really must be on our way." But by the time the words left his mouth, she'd already skipped away.

He grit his teeth, drawing in a deep breath and then exhaling slowly as he pushed himself to his feet. "_Damn,_" he hissed. He was growing weaker by the minute.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Tea reached out to steady him as the pharaoh stumbled.

"I am fine." His jaw was clenched, his muscles rigid with pain. He couldn't do this… He could only hope that Yugi's friends would be able to manage without him once he fell. He fought his way out of the tent, refusing Tea's offer for support. He couldn't let himself rely on her… And besides, he didn't deserve her help.

He was nearly knocked off balance as an elderly man appeared before them. Bright, gentle eyes creased as his lips parted in a smile. "I'm glad to see you've recovered." He rest a hand on the pharaoh's shoulder, his tone changing as he added, "Though you ought not to strain yourself."

"Who are you?" The pharaoh couldn't keep the suspicion out of his tone. This man knew more than he should have.

"Ironheart. I happened to be passing by when I saw the train you and your friend were on." He reached into his pocket. "I found these as well. I figured you would want them back."

Yami flexed his fingers before taking hold of his deck. He'd forgotten how much the cold _hurt_. His grip was weak and he ended up cradling the cards with both hands to keep from dropping them. A darkness flickered in his eyes as he saw Timaeus staring back at him. Even confined within the card, he swore he could see the reproach and disdain in the dragon's eyes.

He'd betrayed all his monsters in that duel, but he'd lost this one's faith entirely.

"I am not worthy of this card," he said softly, handing the dragon back to Ironheart.

The older man's hand hovered over the card, gaze shifting from Yami to the monster. "I will hold it until you're ready to take it back." His eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, but you seem to possess a wisdom far beyond your years."

The pharaoh scoffed derisively. If only he knew how false that judgment was…

"No, no. I've come across a great number of people in my years, but you… There's something _different_ about you. Something I've never seen before." He folded his arms across his chest as Yami turned his head, suddenly refusing to look him in the eye.

"But I also sense a terrible sadness and loneliness…?"

"I have lost a very dear friend. We are on our way to find him."

"And when you find him?"

"I will apologize for betraying his trust." He'd been meant to protect Yugi, and instead he was the reason he'd been harmed. He'd never be able to apologize profoundly enough, but at least he could try.

"Come with me, then. I think I might be able to help."

He turned, leaning down to Chris as he began to walk. "Have Skye walk beside him. We can't have him falling."

"Hey! Did… Did you see a kid on the train? With glasses and really awful hair?"

Yami's eyes narrowed. Of course Tea would ask about the maggot… Frankly, he couldn't bring himself to care—the little snake deserved whatever was coming to him.

"I'm afraid not. There wasn't another soul on board."

"What makes you say that," Yami demanded.

"It's simply a figure of speech, my friend." Though the tone in Ironheart's voice made it clear that the word choice hadn't been an accident—he knew exactly what sort of powers were at work.

"Where are you taking us?"

"There is a sacred ground further up the mountain. It is where the lost souls gather. Take care, though. The path is treacherous."

Yami struggled. His movements were sluggish and he could feel the earth shifting beneath his feet, as if the narrow pass could crumble at any moment. His legs trembled with the effort and his face grew pale. Skye nudged him, sliding beneath his arm to help support his weight.

Tea's brow furrowed. She'd never seen the pharaoh look so frail… Chris said quietly, "He's not well. But it's alright—he'll get better." She gave an encouraging smile, though Tea didn't find her statement especially comforting.

"Here we are." Ironheart stopped before an empty cavern. "You will find your friend down there."

The pharaoh hesitated—the descent was quite steep. He took a cautious step forward, willing his strength to allow him to continue. "I'm coming, Yugi," he murmured softly. He slid down the slope, freezing as the specters of vanquished foes appeared before him. The shadows of the puzzle writhed around him, strengthened by the presence of the angry spirits.

He gave a harsh gasp of pain as they constricted around his thighs, creeping up towards his torso.

_Soon…_

He pressed forward. He had to get to Yugi fast—he didn't have very much time left.

As he staggered into the center, he felt a sudden warmth flood his soul. "Yugi," he breathed. His eyes settled on orbs of light, gathering and slowly taking form. He fell to his knees as his charge stood before him, apparently unharmed. "Yugi," he rasped breathlessly.

"Yami? What're you doing here?"

"Searching for you." He closed his eyes, reveling in the light of Yugi's presence as it beat back the shadows. A weight lifted from his chest and the shackles binding his limbs loosened, allowing easier movement. He picked himself up. "I'm so sorry, Yugi, I… I never meant for this to happen…"

"You came all this way for me?"

The surprise in the boy's voice was like a dagger in the spirit's heart. "Of course." He approached cautiously. "I… I never wanted you to get hurt."

A shadow fell across Yugi's face. He folded his arms across his chest and barked, "Yeah! That sure does a lot of good now!" He stepped forward, pressing, "It doesn't matter how sorry you are. _I _still got locked away!"

The pharaoh recoiled as if he'd been slapped. His shoulders slumped in resignation. "You're right, Yugi. I am the one who should have been taken."

"I _told_ you not to play that card! But you did it anyway, and _I_ ended up paying the price!" He raised his arm, saying, "Well, now you're going to pay!"

"Yugi, no," he said softly. He couldn't duel him… He couldn't risk hurting him any further.

"If you're really sorry, you'll do it."

Yami grit his teeth. "Very well. If that is what it takes to prove my remorse." He retreated to the other side of the arena, relishing the ease with which he was able to walk despite the gravity of the situation. He could hear the shadows hissing in the background, angered by the sudden intrusion.

Gently touching the puzzle, he heaved a sigh of relief as the pieces seemed to respond less to his prodding.

He drew his opening hand, carefully taking stock of his cards. Nothing especially thrilling, but he could certainly work with it.

"I'll start off placing one monster face down in defense mode. Your move, _Pharaoh_."

He'd never heard so much disdain in Yugi's voice, even when speaking of their greatest foes. Perhaps he was the first person Yugi had ever truly hated… His voice lacked its usual spark as he called a monster to the field, destroying Yugi's facedown card.

His eyes widened as they were identical. "Yugi… Our hands are the same, aren't they?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out. It's my move!"

Yami scrutinized his facedown card. With a sigh, he asked, "Do these cards look familiar? Alpha, attack his facedown monster! And Chimera, attack his life points directly." He averted his eyes as his monster launched itself at Yugi. "Forgive me," he murmured.

Yugi's eyes narrowed. "You've activated my monster's special ability!"

"Yes. Good move."

"I don't need your _support_," the smaller duelist spat as he shuffled his deck.

"Why… Why are you acting like this?"

"Why _should_ I care about your approval? You stole my soul! You sacrificed me like it was _nothing_!"

"If I could take it all back, I would."

A scoff.

"Too little too late! Now, it's time to lock you away so you can't hurt anyone else!"

The arena was bathed in a sickly green light.

"Yugi, no! Please!"

"_Scared_, Pharaoh," he sneered, a cruel smirk distorting his lips.

Yami shook his head, murmuring, "No…" His eyes shifted to his deck. He should forfeit. Perhaps then Yugi's soul would escape unharmed. And what did he have to lose? If he lost and his soul was sealed in Yugi's place, what would really change, anyway? As it stood, without his light's presence the shadows were resuming their mastery of him. Perhaps being sealed in the Orichalcos would actually be a kinder fate…

His hand hovered over his deck.

"Taking the easy way out? Running away because you can't own up to what you did?"

"But Yugi—"

"_No_! This duel is so you can see yourself from the outside! If you surrender, all it means is that you can't _really_ be sorry because you can't face your mistakes!"

Yami bit his lower lip. He drew in a shaky breath as he pulled another card from his deck.

Comprehension finally came when Yugi played catapult turtle. "That's the same strategy I used!"

"So you're starting to catch on, Pharaoh."

All the same, he almost couldn't activate the trap—he was sure seeing the Seal claim Yugi once again would destroy him. He stared down the attack launched at him. He squeezed his eyes shut, looking away as divine wind turned the attack back on Yugi.

As soon as it hit, he bolted across the arena. "Yugi! Yugi, are you alright?" He scarcely noticed the seal disappearing. "Please…" He crouched, gathered the smaller boy into his arms.

"You passed the test," Yugi grinned.u

"What?"

"You did what was right, even if it wasn't easy." His form began to fade.

"No! Yugi, please. Yugi, stay with me."

"Don't give up."

An anguished cry tore its way out of the pharaoh's throat as Yugi's spirit vanished. Once again, it felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. "Yugi, _please_. I can't _do_ this without you," he pleaded, tears sliding down his cheeks.

He beat his fists against the ground, rasping, "It isn't _fair_! It should be me who's locked away!" He curled in on himself, grief settling into his being as if it were a physical force. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. But it didn't matter, anyway, because Yugi was gone again.

And with the light gone, the shadows were no longer restrained.

A black shackle wound itself around the pharaoh's ankle, invisible to all but impossible for Yami to ignore. _A minor setback, _Pharaoh_._ _We'll just have to begin again. Except _this time_ there will be no escape._

But even despite the shadows' return, the pharaoh grieved this second loss of Yugi such that he couldn't find it in him to weep for himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yami faces the Orichalcos again! Unfortunately, the duel in this chapter also really couldn't be avoided. But, at least to me it seemed simpler than Yami's duel with Yugi, so it was a bit less difficult to write. Hopefully you guys agree! Anyway, I guess I don't have much to say about this chapter other than I hope you enjoy it!**

**Please read and review! Reviews make my day. :)**

**~Pleurez**

Lighting struck just to the pharaoh's left. He jerked away, the heat from the bolt lingering even after the light had faded. It descended again, driving him to his feet and towards the middle of the arena. "What… What is this," he breathed, turning only to find that the lightning strikes had created a wall, trapping him within the circle.

He moved to the edge, searching for a gap—some place where the lighting strikes were irregular enough for him to push through in the time between.

But they only grew more consistent and the ground began to tremble. He barely managed to jump aside quickly enough to avoid being caught in the fissure that split the earth. "Coward," he spat. "Come out and face me!"

His throat constricted as a black cloud rose from the ground. His stomach twisted into knots, bile rising in his throat. It looked like…

But then he gave a harsh gasp, knees growing weak with relief.

Sick as it was, he was relieved to see a monster of the Orichalcos. "Who sent you," he pressed, his voice growing in strength as the crippling fear he'd faced just moments ago began to ebb. He took a step back as the monster advanced. His gaze shifted back towards the lightning. If he could get to the cliff and climb back up, he bet the monster wouldn't be able to follow. And then he and Tea could be on their way without wasting time on the creature…

However, as he moved, a hexagram formed beneath his feet.

He swore.

Before he could process what had happened, the creature had already summoned a monster, launching a direct assault on Yami. "What the hell," he hissed as he braced himself for the impact. That monster shouldn't have been able to attack so soon… But his conception of what should have happened didn't matter. All that mattered was the sword drawing ever closer.

But, even as he steeled himself for the pain, he remained unharmed.

A haze descended upon him as the spirits of the valley swarmed him, shielding him from the monster.

In the brief moment of reprieve, he snatched at his cards. "Gazelle, fuse with Berfomet to form Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!" He watched as his creature set upon the Orichalcos monster. He tilted his chin up, a defiant smirk settling upon his features. "Not so tough now, are we?"

But as he spoke, the monster rose from the ground.

"What…?"

Far from being weakened by its destruction, it had gained five hundred attack points.

It attacked, only to be destroyed again.

The pharaoh's fists clenched as it reappeared, stronger by another five hundred points. "Very well, then! If a monster can't destroy you, let's see how you fare against my magic card!" He held his breath as the monster fell again, closing his eyes and praying to any deity that might listen that this would be the end of it.

"_Damn it_!" It reappeared again, this time powerful enough to destroy the only monster he had on the field.

Chimera fell and the pharaoh's life points ticked down.

Gazelle returned to the field and he set one card face down. "This has to work…" There was too much riding on this. He wished he could trust the others to finish the journey to retrieve Yugi's soul without him, but he feared if he fell it would mean the end of any hope of saving his charge.

He closed his eyes as the monster prepared to attack again.

"I activate mirror force!"

The Orichalcos Gigas shattered and the soldier's life points ticked away. "Perhaps the trap worked…" Crimson eyes stared at the place in the arena previously occupied by his opponent's creature. He let loose a feral snarl as, yet again, the monster was returned to the field.

He drew. He searched the cards in his hand desperately. There had to be _something_! Some card he could play to defend himself… But there was nothing of any use. He was forced to pass and watch helplessly as Gazelle was struck down.

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian." But his voice was soft, his shoulders hunched. If no monster, magic card, or trap could do away with his opponent's creature, how could he possibly hope to survive? "Forgive me, Yugi… I tried."

He drew in a sharp breath.

The spirits descended upon him again, shrouding him in a hazy, gray fog.

The scene shifted. In the blink of an eye, the cliffs and crags of the mountains surrounding the pharaoh were gone, along with the Orichalcos. The single monster threatening to take down the pharaoh was replaced by thousands in an army stretching as far back as they eye could see. He hovered above the scene—a mere spectator to the events about to unfold.

"Ironheart…?"

The old man stood, Chris and Skye at his side. "Please, Timaeus! Lend us your strength!"

A great cry sounded in the distance and the pharaoh was knocked to the side as the great dragon came forth. The same dragon who had once served him… Whose trust he had betrayed and broken beyond repair… His heart sank as he watched it plow through the ranks of the soldiers of the Orichalcos, blasting them away in a single attack.

He'd had the key to defeating them in his hands, and he'd proved himself unworthy of it. His foolishness would cost Yugi his soul forever…

He returned to the field, head hung in defeat. The monster attacked again and his life points ticked down further.

"If he lands one more attack, it's all over…"

"Pharaoh!" He turned as Ironheart descended from the cliff. "Pharaoh, you must not give up!"

The sky darkened, the lightning that had subsided since the Orichalcos was put in place returning with a vengeance. Except now, instead of striking near Yami it targeted Ironheart. "Wait, stop!" But the pharaoh could do nothing but look on in horror as it hit its mark.

"Chris, it's up to you. See that the pharaoh gets this card."

"No," the pharaoh rasped weakly as his body vanished.

He tore his eyes from where Ironheart had fallen, fixing them upon the Orichalcos soldier. "That," he ground out, "was a mistake." Somehow, he would see to it that Ironheart's sacrifice was in vain. He used Kuriboh to protect his Celtic Guardian, shielding his life points for the time being.

He stared at his deck. There had to be something he could do… Every card, no matter how powerful, had a weakness… There had to be some catch that he just wasn't seeing. He closed his eyes, wracking his brain for some sort of strategy.

"Pharaoh!" Chris reached the barrier of the seal, weakened by the same lightning storm that had taken her grandfather. "Pharaoh, take this. Please."

He turned, breath catching as he recognized the Eye of Timaeus in her hands. "But…"

"You have to take it! It's your only chance!"

She thrust it into his hands, crying out as another lightning bolt found its mark. Like both Skye and her grandfather, the little girl vanished, vanquished by Dartz.

He stared at it, drawing in a shaky breath. "Please. I know I am not worthy of your help. But the fate of so many others hangs in the balance. I beg you not to punish them for my foolishness." Everything was riding on the success of this move…

He staggered back as Timaeus came forth, fusing with his Dark Magician Girl. The sense of relief was dizzying… His knees gave out as he called the final attack. His breaths came in harsh pants and the yellow hair of his bangs clung to his pale, sweat-soaked face. But as he braced himself against the ground, he broke out into a disbelieving smile.

"Thank you."

"Pharaoh! Are you alright?" Disregarding Ironheart's previous warning about angering the spirits, she ran down to the arena, crouching beside the spirit.

"I am fine, Tea." Exhausted, but stronger than he'd been when the train had crashed. He pushed himself to his feet. "But we have to save Yugi quickly." His encounter with the boy's spirit had bought them time, but the shadows had not relented. Already, he could feel them tightening their grasp on him once again. It wouldn't be long before the cold returned…

As he turned to leave the valley, Tea called after him, "Wait! What's going on?" She huffed in irritation as he seemed to pretend not to hear her. "You can't pretend it's nothing—you were barely able to make it up the mountain," she protested, running to keep up with him. "And after you dueled Weevil, your hands were like ice!"

"Tea, _please_. It is not important. I—"

"Let me help you," she pleaded, blue eyes softening. "You don't have to do everything on your own."

He breathed deeply, willing himself to be patient. Exhaling slowly, he insisted, "There isn't time now. For now we have to focus on saving Yugi." He offered a tired smile. "When this is all over, you will understand. I promise. But now is not the time."

He quickened his pace down the path, effectively putting an end to the conversation. At least now they had a chance… With his strength renewed, he was able to hope that they might be able to outpace the shadows of the puzzle, but only if they didn't dawdle.

Tea remained still for a moment, sighing as she watched the pharaoh's retreating figure. He seemed better… But there was still something off. She was sure of it. She ran a hand through her hair. "What a mess…" Resigned to the silence for now, she followed.

Whatever it was, she hoped he could fight it off quickly. She knew this wasn't going to be the last battle he'd have to fight, and it also wouldn't be the hardest.


	6. Chapter 6

**So here's chapter six, hopefully typo free! Thanks to Grac3 for pointing out a few I'd missed in the last chapter. I did go back to look for them, so hopefully chapter five is also now free of typos. :) I try to fix them all before posting, but sometimes they slip through.**

**Anyway, here's the return of Kaiba! And in a chapter entirely free of dueling! :D The fic is still following canon fairly closely to this point, but at the end of this chapter there's a definite break from the anime storyline. Don't hurt me! ^^;**

**Please read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

Heat radiated from Yami's deck. For a brief moment, his fingers lingered on the cards, taking in the warmth. They trembled as he held up Timaeus, whose card gave forth a blinding, white light. The dragon burst forth from the card, pumping its powerful wings and taking to the skies.

"Pharaoh, look!" Tea pointed to the left, where Hermos had also risen, alongside Criteas.

"That means…" He turned, his suspicions confirmed as he caught sight of Joey and Tristan, not too far off from them. His eyes narrowed faintly. That was one accounted for. But then where was… His attention turned to the plane guided on the wings of the three dragons. "Kaiba…"

He looked to Joey one last time before taking off towards the downed jet.

The blond nudged Tristan. "Let's go." Assuming he was still in one piece, Joey had a few choice words in mind for the CEO. "Hey Rich boy! You in there?"

Yami grit his teeth. "Now is not the time," he admonished. He didn't know much, but he knew all three of their dragons would be necessary in order to defeat Dartz. They couldn't afford to be picking fights with each other.

Mokuba stepped out of the plane first, wide-eyed and pale. He forced a smile, trying to put on a brave face, but his knees shook and his voice was weak as he called, "Roland! You came!"

"Mokuba, are you alright?" Tea moved towards the child.

"Of course I am! I was with Seto," he beamed, forcing the tremors from his voice. It wasn't completely a lie—he knew Seto would never let anything happen to him. But, still… Seeing his brother so close to losing his soul, and then the plane plummeting to earth… It hadn't been fun.

"Oh great. It's you," a familiar voice spat, descending from the aircraft, the limp body of Alister in his arms.

"Kaiba," Joey growled, lip curling in disdain as he turned to face the other duelist. His eyes grew wide and his jaw unclenched. "Wait a minute! You _dueled_ that guy? On a crashing _plane_?"

Kaiba scoffed. "So what if I did?"

"I—"

"Not now, Wheeler. The grownups are talking." He rounded on Roland. Even despite the sunglasses obscuring his eyes, the man's posture practically screamed anxiety. "What is it," Kaiba barked, eyes narrowing to a deadly glare.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Sir," he began, wringing his hands.

"Well? Get on with it!"

"Kaiba Corp's been bought out," he blurted out, unable to come up with a kinder way to break the news to his boss. "I'm sorry."

Seto's entire body froze in shock. "_How_," he hissed, clenching his fists. How had the snake managed it without him finding out about it? He turned to Yami and his friends, eyes narrowing speculatively. "You… might be of use," he ground out. Eyes flicking to the motionless bodies of Rex and Alister, he added, "Have them taken to the medical center. I don't want them getting in the way."

He prowled onto the helicopter, pausing only a moment to snap, "Are you geeks coming, or not?" He didn't have time for their dawdling. Kaiba Corp was _his_ company. He'd sold his soul to the devil for a chance at it, and he'd dedicated his life to rebuilding it from the ground up from the very second the old bastard's body hit the pavement. He'd be damned if he was going to let _anyone_ take away what was his without one hell of a fight.

"Thank you, Kaiba," Yami ventured quietly.

Kaiba refused to acknowledge him.

"But I don't understand, Seto," Mokuba prodded, looking to his brother. "How could this have happened?"

"Our computers must have been hacked." It was the only possible explanation for any of this. His expression turned deadly as Tea reiterated Mokuba's question. Only Mokuba's hand on his arm stopped him from eviscerating her. If he knew how they'd managed to get through his security, it wouldn't have happened. He had traps set up to block just about everything he could have thought of or predicted. "Clearly, we're dealing with someone incredibly powerful."

"Sir…?"

"I'm not your boss anymore."

Mokuba's eyes softened. He ached to climb onto his brother's lap and give him a hug, just to show him that he wasn't alone, but he doubted Seto would appreciate such a display in the present company. Though the truth was, as much as he knew Seto needed reassurance, Mokuba also could have used the comfort.

Roland finally spoke up. "I have every confidence that you'll be back at the helm of Kaiba Corp in no time, Sir. I will see to it."

"Hn." Kaiba's eyes shifted to Yami and company before returning to his head of security. "Thank you, Roland."

Mokuba broke out into a grin. To the others, it may have seemed a lame nicety, but that was one of the great things about being among the privileged few who really knew his brother—the little things took on an entirely new meaning. And he knew Roland understood it, too.

"We have to get to the museum," Yami insisted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We don't have time to waste."

"I must say, you're surprisingly eager. You know, given that you just _lost_ your title," Kaiba drawled. He fixed a venomous stare on Yami, folding his arms across his chest.

"_Kaiba_! You think this is about some stupid _title_?" Tightness crept down his neck and spread across his shoulders, crimson eyes growing dark. "Now is _not_ the time to be so callous!"

"I don't think _you're_ in any position to be telling me what I can and can't do, Yugi."

The mention of his charge's name was enough to make the pharaoh see red. In retrospect, it would foolish—Kaiba had never truly acknowledged the fact that Yugi's body had housed two souls. But the grief and fear were both still far too fresh for the pharaoh to think that rationally. He moved to stand, a feral gleam in his eye, stopping only when Tristan grabbed his shoulder.

"Guys! Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," Tea cut in.

Suddenly, both the pharaoh and Kaiba being in the same enclosed space seemed like an incredibly bad idea. They were both under incredible amounts of stress, and why _wouldn't_ they decide to start taking it out on each other? Sure, Kaiba sniped at Joey every now and again, but the pharaoh was the only person he'd ever _really_ cared about beating. And on Yami's side, Kaiba just happened to be the person he felt the most ill will towards, making him the easiest target.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter, anyway. While _you_ losers were off doing whatever, _I_ was preparing. My research team should have gotten there ten minutes ago."

"My brother's _always_ ahead of everyone else!"

"Speaking of…" He flipped open his laptop, watching as images of the stone carvings popped up on the screen. The messages were rushed and garbled, but from what he gathered his team had run into trouble. But not before sending him the photos he needed.

The task of communicating this to Arthur fell to Yami. On the one hand, Kaiba didn't want to relinquish control of his computer to anyone. On the other, he lacked the patience necessary to deal with people, and he knew he couldn't afford to end up alienating a man who, whether Kaiba liked it or not, had a skillset that made him one of the most valuable assets they had access to.

Yami scowled as the CEO held the computer out to him. He flexed his fingers. For now, they'd manage alright with cards, but he didn't trust himself to hold something as heavy as the laptop. He bit out, "You hold it so I'm not too close to the webcam." It was a feeble explanation, but it was all he cared to give.

Kaiba scoffed, but didn't argue. Even he recognized it would have been a silly thing to fight about.

"Grandpa already got the images." It would have been a lie to say that Yami wasn't a bit put out when Rebecca showed up on the screen instead of Arthur. "He's working on interpreting them now." He winced at the iciness of her tone.

"Rebecca… I'm sorry."

Her eyes narrowed.

Arthur heaved a sigh. "Rebecca, now isn't the time. We're all fighting the same enemy and the pharaoh needs our support."

"I guess you're right…" Though her tone was less than convincing.

"Pharaoh, the quality of the images is quite poor. I'm afraid I won't be able to read much if you can't find a way to clear them up a bit."

"Head to Kaiba Corp," Seto snapped. "My computer's the only machine that can process the photos quickly enough."

"Are you nuts? We can't just walk in there!"

"Kaiba makes a good point, Joey," Yami interrupted. "It's risky, but our time is limited."

Blue eyes narrowed and Mokuba steeled himself for another round of bickering between his brother and the pharaoh. But Kiaba held his tongue. As much as he didn't need his rival's approval, he decided that for now a truce was in everyone's best interest. So he busied himself studiously ignoring everyone else until the helicopter began its descent.

Rebecca accosted him the moment he reached the ground. "Any word on Yugi?"

"Not yet." The pharaoh refused to look her in the eye.

"You'd better bring him back! If you don't, I'll never forgive you." She folded her arms across her chest, lifting her chin in defiance.

"I promise, I will return him safe and sound."

_Tsk, tsk, Pharaoh. You shouldn't make promises you can't keep._

Yami closed his eyes, clamping his jaw shut to keep back a hiss as he was made painfully aware of the chill settling in once again. His fingers and toes burned with it, and it was slowly spreading towards his wrists and ankles. A shadow curled around his neck, placing just enough pressure to hinder breathing. "We will find him soon," he murmured, more to reassure himself than for the benefit of the others.

"If you losers don't mind, I have a company to save." Kaiba turned on his heel and stalked away, coat billowing behind him. "Anyone who's coming, hurry up."

Yami took off after him, struggling to catch up. To cover the same distance Kaiba managed in a single stride, it took the pharaoh at least two steps. "Kaiba!" He took a moment, forcing himself to regulate his breathing so the other duelist wouldn't be able to hear how out of breath he was. "Where are we going?"

"A shortcut," came the terse reply.

Yami's eyes narrowed. He looked over his shoulder towards where he had left his friends. As he followed Kaiba into an elevator, he said, "Kaiba, there is something I must tell you."

"Can't it wait?"

"No."

"Fine. But make it fast."

Yami breathed deeply. If his friends knew, they would fall apart and the quest to save Yugi would be doomed to failure. But Kaiba… For all his flaws, Kaiba was strong and resilient. He would do what he needed to with or without anyone there to help. And someone had to know. Just in case he fell before accomplishing his task. "Kaiba, swear to me that this will stay between the two of us."

"Whatever. Just spit it out."

"I'm dying, Kaiba."


	7. Chapter 7

**So here's chapter seven, in which Kaiba is a complete and utter asshole. xD But really, are we surprised? I hope you enjoy it!  
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**Please read and review! :)**

**~Pleurez**

"What the _fuck_ do you mean you're dying?" Yami flinched as Kaiba shouted. He wasn't quite sure what he'd expected, but he'd certainly anticipated a little more composure.

"Yugi's soul is gone. I can only exist so long without him before being drawn back into the puzzle." So maybe dying wasn't exactly the right word. He'd still exist, but he'd be trapped within the confines of the puzzle, just as before. But in any case, if his time ran out, he wouldn't be able to continue his search for Yugi.

"Again with the magic bullshit?" Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Save your fairytales for someone who cares."

"Kaiba…" But rather than the usual angry hiss, the name was a tired sigh. He removed his left hand from his pocket, holding it up to allow the CEO to see the tremors he couldn't control. "Believe what you want, but this is not normal."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed to slits. He moved to bat the hand away, jerking back as he made contact with the pharaoh. How the _hell_ was he that cold? He stared at him in silence, running through every possible explanation he could come up with. "Fine. Even if I thought you were telling the truth, what the hell do you want me to do about it?"

There it was. A chink in the armor. Small, but Yami would take it.

"Save Yugi. If I fall, promise me you'll keep searching for him."

Kaiba appeared not to have heard it. "I mean _god damn it_! Could you have _possibly _picked a worse time," he snarled.

"I didn't _choose_—"

Kaiba's eyes hardened. "Spare me! You can drop dead in the middle of the street for all I care. As long as you do it _after_ all this is taken care of." He wasn't going to promise the spirit anything. Promises like that had only one result. They made people complacent.

"_Kaiba!_" Yami's tirade was cut off before it started when the elevator jolted.

The other duelist stiffened, eyes searching the area for the threat. He stepped back as a creature plunged through the ceiling and slammed through the wall behind him. "We'll finish this later." He slammed his duel disk into the control panel of the elevator and grabbed the edge of the door, prying it open.

Yami grabbed the other side of the door, shoving as with as much strength as he could. His grip was weak, but as soon as the door cracked, he managed to wedge his arm in the opening, pushing with his shoulder. The relief he felt when the door opened was short lived—on the other side, a hoard of duel monsters waited to attack.

He glanced at Kaiba. "You do realize these aren't holograms."

Kaiba snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Magic, destiny, and all that nonsense, right?" He smirked as the spirit responded with an irritated glare.

"What's _your_ explanation, then?"

"You're insane. But I guess there really isn't time to argue about that now, is there?"

"I call forth my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

"I summon Vorse Radier!"

Their monsters materialized, cutting down enough of their foes to create a path. Yami ran to the end of the hallway, though he was quickly outpaced by Kaiba. He heard the CEO curse. "What is it," he panted, unable to hide his fatigue. Maintaining the Celtic Guardian was a drain on his energy, though he didn't see a way around it.

"Access denied."

Kaiba ran his locket through the slot again. "It's been hacked!"

He turned, crying out as his monster was destroyed. He staggered back, gasping in pain. He reached for his deck, but Kaiba's hand reached out to catch his wrist. "Don't be an idiot."

As much as he didn't want to believe that these monsters were real creatures, he couldn't deny that the guardian's destruction had had some sort of effect on Yami. Given the spirit's earlier declaration, it seemed foolish for him to strain himself unnecessarily.

"But both of our monsters are gone," he protested.

"Need a little help," a voice sneered over the intercom. Kaiba grit his teeth, working up a truly nasty insult for the brat. But it died as soon as the door opened, slamming shut just in time to block the monsters' attack.

"Hurry up," Kaiba snapped.

The pharaoh tried, but found himself lagging behind. Kaiba looked back, lips curling in disdain. "For God's sake! We don't have time for this!" He slowed momentarily, reaching and taking hold of the spirit's shirt.

As he was flung unceremoniously over Kaiba's shoulder, he growled, "Kaiba! Unhand me!" He squirmed, but the taller man's grip only tightened.

"It's your own damn fault. I _told_ you to _keep up!" _

"Asshole."

Kaiba loosened his hold on the pharaoh and shrugged his shoulder. The spirit gasped, hands scrabbling for something to grab to keep himself from falling. Just before he went sliding to the floor, the taller duelist grabbed hold of him again.

"_Kaiba!_"

"Whoops," he deadpanned. A smirk. "Want to try another insult?"

With a scowl, the spirit slumped, resigning himself to the fact that he was, for the moment, at Kaiba's mercy. Fortunately, it wasn't long before they reached the computer and Kaiba lowered him to the ground.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, straightening his back and holding his head high. Though, even with the best posture in the world, his height was far from imposing and did very little to salvage his pride. He stood back and watched as Kaiba's glare bored holes into the machine currently processing the images from the museum.

"I know that sign," he said… "That's the insignia for Paradius!"

"What?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "An incredibly secretive organization. There are rumors that they own parts of every company worldwide." A quick search and his suspicions were confirmed. "Yug—"

"_Don't_ call me that," the pharaoh snarled.

"_Whatever_! The point is, you have _no idea_ what we're up against!"

The computer sparked and the room went black.

"It appears the mice have come searching for the cat," a sinister voice drawled. "How very _convenient_." In a haze of shadows, Dartz appeared, looking down upon the two duelists.

Yami felt the air driven from his lungs. The shadows tightened around his neck and the cold spread further inward. The force of their sudden activity drove him to his knees, the nearness of the taint of the Orichalcos giving them strength. "Dartz," he spat, struggling to pick himself back up. "Release the souls you've captured!"

"And give me back my company!"

"Tut, tut, Pharaoh. I don't think _you're_ in any position to be making demands." However, he frowned. He hadn't figured on the spirit weakening in the boy's absence… He had to hurry things along—if he allowed the pharaoh's soul to be claimed by the puzzle, all would be lost.

"Duel us. If we win, you release your prisoners and return Kaiba Corp," the spirit shot back.

Finally on his feet again, he pulled a card. "We summon Timaeus and Criteas!"

_Enjoy your last hours of freedom_, the shadows purred.

The dragon loosed an attack on Dartz and his creature was reduced to a shower of light. But their foe's voice still resonated throughout the room. "Unfortunately, now is not the right time for our battle. I'm afraid I'll be taking my leave."

"No!" The pharaoh didn't bother trying to keep the desperation from his voice. "_Damn it_!" Another chance to save Yugi, gone… And he'd grown weaker. He followed Kaiba to the elevator, heart pounding in his chest. "Kaiba! If time runs out, you have to _promise me_ that you will find Yugi!"

Kaiba refused to look at him. He didn't want to see the fear in his rival's eyes—it was bad enough that he heard it in his voice. "Like I said, if you want to keel over, _fine_! As long as you _wait until after this is over_!"

"But—"

"I'm not going to promise you a damn thing. If you want to save him, you'd damn well better stick around to do it yourself." As the doors opened, he grabbed the pharaoh, tugging him along.

"We have to jump."

"_What_?"

"Trust me."

Yami didn't have much of a choice. As soon as they reached the edge of the roof, Kaiba shoved him over the ledge, following right on his heels. The pharaoh snatched at the air, searching in vain for some sort of lifeline.

He grunted as he ended up landing on the Blue Eyes jet. "You really are an asshole," he spat. His entire body trembled and his heart still felt as if it were going to burst right out of his chest.

"I'm starting to think you _like_ being dropped," the CEO sniped.

The aircraft lurched.

Kaiba grappled with the control panel but couldn't stop their descent. The crash rattled the pharaoh's bones and hen could scarcely process what was happening as they were ejected from the jet. He landed on the ground with a harsh _thud_ without even a trace of his usual grace.

He raised his eyes to the sky, a shiver running down his spine as the silhouette of Dartz's beast crossed the sky. "Kaiba…"

"Yeah, yeah. We're running out of time. So get your sorry ass up off the ground and let's _go_!" He reached down to pull Yami to his feet, but this time the Pharaoh caught his hand, accepting Kaiba's help but refusing to be picked up like a child.

Kaiba drew in a sharp breath as his and Yami's hands made contact, unprepared for the iciness of his skin even though he'd felt it before. Perhaps there really was cause to worry that he wouldn't be able to see their ordeal through to the end.


	8. Chapter 8

**So here's another gloriously duel-free chapter! :D Since Yami wasn't present for Joey's duels with Valon and Mai, they've kind of been omitted. They'll be referenced in that the pharaoh will end up with Hermos and such, but the actual duels won't be mentioned. Anyway, lots of Kaiba/Yami interaction, in which Kaiba is still a gigantic jerk. **

**I meant to get this up yesterday, but I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. I don't know, I think it's the knowledge that this is the last chapter before I have to actually deal with a duel again. ^^; I've tried to find a way out of it, but the next chapter's kind of gonna have to include the duel with Rafael. **

**Anyway, read and review, please!**

**~Pleurez**

"Seto! We were worried about you guys!" Mokuba bounded over to his brother, tired eyes brightening with relief.

"We're fine," he said stiffly, shooting a glance at the pharaoh. His movements were slow and deliberate. "We have to get to Paradius headquarters."

"I'll drive." The CEO's eyes narrowed as Duke spoke. He hadn't had any intention of tagging along with them. But, it was too far for walking to be feasible and it would give him time to think. With an opponent like Dartz, he couldn't afford to squander resources by rushing in blindly.

"Let's go, Mokuba."

Yami hesitated. He stopped at the step, drawing in a deep breath and looking to the floor. Visions of Rebecca's tear-filled eyes flashed before him. He could almost feel her fists pounding against his chest as her reaction to Yugi's disappearance played itself out in his mind's eye. He couldn't do it… He couldn't face her after they'd let Dartz slip away—after he'd failed once again to bring Yugi back safely.

"_Move it_," Kaiba growled. "I thought we didn't have any time to waste."

"Did you find him?"

He flinched as Rebecca accosted him the moment he stepped into the camper. Not lifting his eyes from the ground, he said softly, "Forgive me, Rebecca."

"Not until Yugi's back!" She turned her back to him, prowling away.

He looked to Kaiba, crimson eyes pleading.

_Please, Kaiba. If not for me, for them…_

Kaiba gave a subtle shake of his head. If he wanted someone to coddle him with empty promises and sentimentality, he should have gone to Gardner. He wasn't about to give Yami an easy way out. He frowned at his laptop, as if he could make it run faster by willpower alone. This was entirely unacceptable. He'd have to do an upgrade once the dust settled.

"You look pale," Tea prodded, sitting beside the pharaoh.

"I'm fine."

Tea narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"I need you to trust me," he said firmly.

_Go ahead. Lie all you want. It won't change the fact that you'll be gone by dawn._

He spluttered as it suddenly became much harder to breathe. "Excuse me…" His muscles screamed as he stood to walk away. However, Tea didn't get a chance to observe him long enough to realize how painful the movements were.

Tires screeched and the sudden halt saw the pharaoh just barely managing to grab hold of the seat in time to keep himself from falling.

Just outside, Tristan stood with his back to a wall, facing down a monster of the Orichalcos. His head whipped around. He called, "A little help, guys?" He ducked to the side just in time to avoid the monster's weapon.

"I summon—"

"Vorse raider, go," Kaiba interrupted.

His monster intercepted the attack, allowing the spirit to return his Celtic Guardian to his deck. Kaiba pushed ahead of him, pausing only briefly to level a glare at Yami. He watched as Tristan scrambled to his feet, face flushed with the exertion of having tried to defend himself.

"Where's Joey? I thought the two of you were together." Tea ran a hand through her hair, searching the scene for the blond duelist.

"We were. But then he decided to take off after one of those biker guys," he huffed. "I tried to follow, but…" He waved a hand at the spot where the monster had just been destroyed, unable to find the words to explain it. The whole concept of ancient magic and real monsters… He wasn't one to deny their existence, but it boggled his mind.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go find him!"

Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose. With a glance at Mokuba, he sighed, "Remind me _never_ to come to these losers in a crisis…" A hoard of monsters closed in around them, replacing the one that had been defeated. What kind of morons stopped to discuss the next step before the current threat was completely neutralized? "Critias!" The black dragon took to the skies, mowing down the creatures in its path.

"I don't need your help," he spat, swatting the pharaoh's hand as he moved to summon a monster of his own.

"Hey! Lay off!" Tristan pushed his way between them, eyes dark with frustration. "Do you _always_ have to be such an ass?"

Blue eyes narrowed in disdain. "Come, Mokuba. We don't have time for this." His attention settled on the pharaoh. "And you, this time at least _try_ to keep up."

"Kaiba, we must find Joey," he insisted.

"Yeah! He could be in trouble!"

Kaiba grit his teeth. Even Gardner's _voice_ was irritating… "That's not my problem."

"Kaiba!"

"Why?" He took a step towards the pharaoh, nostrils flaring. "If he's dueling there's _nothing_ you can do. He'll either win or lose, and he'll do it whether you're there or not."

"He needs our support!"

"Save it, Gardner. This doesn't concern you." He didn't care what she did. She wasn't of any use to him, anyway. He ground out, "I know you've got a brain in there somewhere. Start _using it_!" The pharaoh's sentimentality was maddening. On the dueling field, he was a brilliant strategist. Why wasn't he using that skill now?

Yami's brow furrowed. He could feel their eyes on him—Kaiba's angry reproach, the others expectancy…

_Keep running, little pharaoh. You'll be gone by dawn_, a voice purred in the back of his mind, a wisp of darkness stroking his cheek. _We've missed you, little pharaoh_.

He grit his teeth. Finally, he relented, "Very well."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"Tea, there are few things I would like more than to see with my own eyes that Joey is safe, but Dartz is growing stronger by the minute. We have to move quickly if we want to take him down." Whether he liked it or not, his time was running out. And Kaiba was right—ultimately, this was Joey's fight.

Kaiba waited until they turned a corner and the rest of the gang was out of sight. His eyes hardened and he asked, "So tell me, when exactly did you stop caring about Yugi?"

Mokuba's wide eyes shifted from the pharaoh to his brother. An explosion was pretty much guaranteed on Yami's part, but his brother's face remained unreadable. He took a step back, deciding that whatever was going on, he didn't want to be caught in the line of fire.

"How _dare_ you…?" The spirit clenched his fists, teeth bared in a snarl.

"Well what am I _supposed_ to think when you keep taking stupid risks?"

"Last I checked, going to Kaiba Corp was _your_ idea."

"That's not what I mean!"

Crismon eyes dark with anger, the pharaoh swung a punch at his supposed ally. Kaiba sneered, catching his wrist with little difficulty. "_Use your fucking brain_! If you really _are_ dying—"

"_What?!"_ Mokuba squawked. "Hang on! I—"

"Kaiba! I told you in _confiden—"_

"Who _cares_? The point is, if it's true, lose the hero complex and _save your strength_." He released the pharaoh's arm, saying sharply, "_Don't_ waste your energy summoning your monsters when the situation's already under control."

"What do you mean he's _dying_," Mokuba demanded.

"It's noth—"

"He's not well," Kaiba interrupted. He didn't care if the spirit wanted to lie to his stupid friends, but he wasn't going to keep Mokuba in the dark. If something happened to him, he wasn't going to have his brother looking blindly to someone who might not actually be able to protect him. Mokuba was smart and had a good head on his shoulders, but Kaiba couldn't trust him to make the right decisions if he didn't have all the information.

Gray eyes settled on the pharaoh, looking him up and down. "It's got something to do with the Orichalcos, doesn't it?"

Yami gave a terse nod.

"So he says," the CEO remarked dryly.

Mokuba turned his eyes skyward, asking for patience. He knew by this point his brother had to have realized that the monsters were much more than just a glitch in the duel disks, but he'd be damned if he actually admitted it. "So if we take down Dartz, it'll stop?"

Another nod.

He forced a grin. "Well, then what're we waiting for?"

Seto said curtly, "Remember. If your resources are limited, use them _efficiently_." He turned, eyes set on the car dealership across the street.

Mokuba stuck close to his side, shoulder occasionally brushing against his brother's elbow. Each time he made contact, he turned wide eyes upward, trying to meet his brother's gaze.

A smile tugged at the corners of Seto's lips. He put a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. Directing his attention to the cars on the lot, he asked, "So, which one do you want?"

"Really?"

"You didn't think we were going to take a bus, did you?"

For the time being, the flashy cars seemed to have taken Mokuba's mind off the seriousness of their situation. Seto watched him for a moment. Looking back to the pharaoh, he smirked. "Want to play a game?" He sauntered over to the spirit. "I'll even let you pick first."

It was stupid. Yami knew it was stupid. But the gauntlet had been thrown and he wasn't one to pass up a challenge, no matter how ridiculous it was. He studied the lot for a moment before settling on a sleek, blue car.

Kaiba shook his head, pointing to a red car in the front of the lot. "That's the one."

"And what are the stakes?"

The CEO shrugged casually. "I like winning." As if on cue, he heard Mokuba calling his name, pointing to the red car. He scrutinized the back seat. Really, it was more of a shelf than an actual seat… Looking his companion up and down, he drawled, "Good thing you're so short. Otherwise, we might have had to leave behind."

Yami's eyes narrowed, but he lacked the energy to truly respond to the sleight. It just wasn't worth it.

Kaiba got into the car, rolling his eyes as a salesman came running over. "Hey! Hey you kids, get out of that car!"

"We're _buying it_," Mokuba huffed, rolling his eyes.

"Listen, I—"

"If you shut up now, I'll make your year." Kaiba shoved a check into his hands and tore off the lot.

Yami flinched, clutching the back of the passenger's seat as Kaiba proceeded to break about every traffic law he could. Kaiba glanced in the rearview mirror and jerked the steering wheel to the right with more force than was really necessary.

"_Kaiba_," Yami yelped as he was flung to the side.

"Oops," he returned dryly, slamming his foot on the gas.

Mokuba whooped as the car took off, throwing his head back and laughing as if they were on some sort of thrill ride. The elder Kaiba watched both of them out of the corner of his eye.

Mokuba distracted. Yami pissed off.

Mission accomplished.

Unfortunately, the car was only marginally more successful than the blue eyes jet had been. Kaiba's foot flew to the break so quickly the car almost spun out of control, stopping just a few feet before ramming into one of Dartz's creatures.

"Stay in the car. _Both of you_."

"Kaiba—"

"_No_," the CEO barked. "Mokuba, make sure he _stays put_."

The child nodded.

Seto stepped out, leering at the beasts. "Blue eyes white dragon, white lightning attack!" The heat of the dragon's blast made it harder to claim that these were just malfunctioning holograms… Sure, his technology could simulate the sensation of an attack, but this was different.

He looked back to the car, breath catching as one of the monsters approached his brother. His dragon arched its neck, letting loose a roar that shook the ground before it loosed another blast at the Orichalcos soldiers. But just as soon as the creatures fell, they reappeared.

"What are we going to do?" Mokuba's voice rose in pitch as he looked around at the growing hoard. "They keep coming back!"

"Then they'll just have to be beat down again. Critias! Come forth!" The black dragon erupted from the card, joining the blue eyes and mowing down every creature that stood in its way. He waited for a moment after the path appeared to be clear, searching for any monster that would dare resurrect itself. "This time, _stay dead_," he growled at no one in particular.

He paused as he returned to the car, scrutinizing the pharaoh as his hand lingered on the door handle. "You're getting worse." He pulled open the side door of the car and shrugged off his coat, thrusting it at Yami.

The spirit wrapped himself in it. It did little to ease the cold, but he appreciated the gesture all the same. "Thank you."

"Shut up."


	9. Chapter 9

**So, here's chapter nine, the duel with Rafael. As I'm sure you'd expect, it's kind of an abridged version. I just couldn't make myself write every turn, it just would have been too much of a headache. It's funny! I remember watching the show as a kid and sitting on the edge of my seat during the duels. (Want to know how old I am? I remember when the dub was airing on Saturday mornings, and I remember being super unhappy with the duels that spanned multiple episodes, because I couldn't wait to see what happened. The wait between episodes during the duel with Pegasus at the end of Season 1 felt like forever!) But now I see the duels and my mind goes "Ew! Less cards, more character interactions!" Funny how perspectives change!**

**But this season is actually the last one I remember watching as it aired in the US! I'm not sure why, but I stopped watching somewhere in the middle of this arc and kind of forgot about the show for the most part until a few years ago. Hurray nostalgia!**

**Anyway, read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

The car slowed to a halt outside an imposing office building. The pharaoh moved slowly as he pushed open the door. His bones ached and his joints creaked. "Almost there," he murmured, praying that this wasn't just another dead end.

Kaiba arched an eyebrow at the much shorter spirit wearing his coat. "You look ridiculous." He was practically swimming in the garment—in fact it was a wonder he managed to walk without tripping himself on it. And from the looks of it, it wasn't even doing all that much. The worst of the trembling was hidden by the excess fabric, but he could still hear Yami's teeth chattering.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Mokuba inched closer to the pharaoh, brow creased in concern.

The spirit continued towards the door without answering.

"Welcome, Pharaoh. We've been expecting you." He stepped back, drawing a sharp breath as Mai's limp body slumped forward, Rafael standing behind her with a wicked grin.

"Wh-what have you done?"

"She's not the only one." Rafael held up a card.

"No." The pharaoh felt his knees grow weak as the Claw of Hermos stared back at him from the blue background of the card. He clenched his fists. There was only one way that card could have come into Rafael's possession.

He flicked it away carelessly. "Take it if you want it. It can't save you."

Kaiba came up behind Yami, eyes cold and nostrils flaring. "Out of the way. We're here to see Dartz." He looked down at the pharaoh who cradled the legendary dragon card. He could practically _feel_ the hatred radiating from the smaller duelist, and he could see it winning out over logic.

Damn.

Rafael said shortly, "The pharaoh and I have some unfinished business."

"Too bad," Kaiba sneered. "This is your last chance. _Move_."

Rafael's eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't it be a pity," he drawled, "if something were to happen to your friend's body?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Care to test that theory?" He smirked as the pharaoh hesitated. "We'll duel on the roof."

Yami moved to step into the elevator, but Kaiba grabbed hold of his jacket. "Show us the body," Kaiba demanded. His grip tightened on the jacket as the pharaoh pulled away. "How do we know you haven't already done something to him?"

"Go ahead. Keep pushing me."

"Kaiba, let go," Yami spat.

"He's _bluffing_," Mokuba insisted. "Why else wouldn't he just give Seto what he wants? It's not like it would cost him anything to just show us that he's okay."

"We can't risk it," Yami protested, struggling to keep his voice from shaking. He wasn't going to gamble with Joey's safety. And even if they didn't have Joey, they still had Mai. He twisted out of the jacket and followed Rafael into the elevator.

"_God damn it!_ Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid," Kaiba hissed. But by that point, it was too late. Once they were on the roof, there would be nowhere for Yami to go. He pushed his way into the elevator. If Rafael started to lose, Kaiba didn't trust him not to just pitch the pharaoh off the roof.

"I can't let him… hurt Yugi's friends."

Rafael's eyes narrowed at his foe's halting speech. With Kaiba's coat gone, he could see the smaller man's shoulders trembling. He just barely managed to add Hermos to his deck—his hands shook such that he barely managed to get his deck back into its slot in the duel disk.

"This should be even easier than I thought."

As the doors opened, Kaiba threw his jacket onto the pharaoh's shoulder. "At least put the damn coat back on," he spat. He turned predatory eyes on his younger brother. "I swear, Mokuba, if you ever even _think_ of doing something this foolish…" He trailed off, watching as the pharaoh fumbled with the coat.

In the car, he'd been able to take off his duel disk to get his arm through the sleeve. At the moment, though, he didn't trust himself to be able to get it back on if he tried it again. He draped it over his shoulders, knotting the sleeves around his neck to keep it in place.

Rafael approached him, grinning. "Care to shuffle my deck?"

He was gloating. Kaiba knew it, but the pharaoh was too damned proud to decline. They traded decks and the larger man watched his opponent's rigid, trembling fingers struggling to keep his grip on the cards.

"Is the pharaoh going to be okay," Mokuba asked, nibbling on his lower lip.

"It depends on how fast he can get through this duel," Kaiba answered. "If he's not, it's his own stupid fault."

"Since I won last time, I think I'll start things off."

Yami watched as Rafael took his turn, quietly breathing a sigh of relief as he either didn't have the Seal in his hand or chose not to use it. If he ended the duel quickly enough, perhaps both of them would manage to escape with their souls…

He winced as his Queen's Knight was destroyed. No matter what he thought about him as a person, Rafael was a skilled duelist. "I play monster reborn to revive my Queen's Knight. Then I summon King's Knight." He paused to catch his breath as he placed another card on his duel disk. "His special ability allows me to also call Jack's Knight to the field. Go! Attack his Guardian Grarl!"

"Are you blind? None of your monsters have enough attack points to defeat my guardian!"

"Not… Not individually but… I play the magic card B-Brave Attack." Damn, it was cold… And the wind on the roof didn't do anything to help.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed speculatively. "Not bad," he said quietly. "But he's going to have to do better than that if he wants to walk away with a victory."

"Still haven't learned your lesson, have you," Rafael sniped. "I activate Guardian Force! Now, say goodbye to your Knights."

The pharaoh hissed in pain as Rafael wiped out both his Queen's Knight and King's Knight as well as a portion of his life points. Even without the Seal in play, its energy remained present as the beast grew stronger. These monsters were much more than mere holograms.

"Come on! Crush him!" Mokuba called, watching the pharaoh's life points ticking down.

"Having a little trouble, Pharaoh?" A scoff. "Well, it's about to get a whole lot worse!"

"No! Rafael, you can't," he rasped. His eyes flicked to the monsters on the field and then to the card in his opponents hands. "Think about your monsters—I know you care for them! You can't… you can't betray them like this!"

"I'll do whatever it takes to take you down," he ground out, placing the card in his duel disk.

The pharaoh's stomach twisted into knots as the Seal encircled them. His chest rose and fell in increasingly short, desperate bursts as he felt the shadows constricting further around his throat and pressing down on his chest. "Rafael, p-please," he wheezed.

"Too late, Pharaoh."

"Idiot," Kaiba spat. He was tempted to leave—the odds were clearly in Rafael's favor. There was no point in watching any further. However, he'd seen his rival pull incredible victories out of thin air before… But his best hope had been to end the duel before his opponent had a chance to play the Seal, and as he watched the pharaoh's life points tick down to a mere one thousand, his outlook was grim.

"Let's go, Mokuba," he sighed.

He paused as he heard the elevator doors open. "How the hell did _you_ get here," he demanded.

Tea stepped out, followed by Tristan. "We saw the lightshow on the roof," Tristan remarked.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed to slits. "Wheeler was with _you_ the whole time?"

Tea's brow furrowed. "Well, yeah…" She trailed off—the venom in Kaiba's tone made it clear that there was a right answer. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what it was.

Kaiba snarled.

Clearly, that was the wrong answer.

He turned back to the dueling field. "What the _fuck_ did I tell you?"

Tea blinked. "Uhm, Mokuba… Mind filling us in?"

The kid groaned. "Rafael met us downstairs when we got here. He implied that he had Joey somewhere and would hurt him if the pharaoh didn't duel him. My brother and I told him it was a bluff and tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He thought it was too much of a risk to try calling him on it."

Tristan's brow furrowed. "Why is he wearing your brother's coat?"

Kaiba sneered, "Isn't it obvious? I tried to strangle him with it." Despite the sarcasm in his tone, Kaiba couldn't help but think that it wouldn't have been such a bad option. Sure, he would've had to drag his unconscious body around, but if he were knocked out, then he wouldn't have been able to go getting himself into trouble.

For his part, the pharaoh was deathly pale and his breathing was rough and uneven. He flinched as he heard the familiar voices of Yugi's friends. Damn it… "What… what are you doing here," he rasped. They weren't supposed to see him so weak…

"Are you alright?"

He managed a nod, hoping it would be enough to dismiss Tea's concern.

"Are you sure," she pressed. He really looked awful.

"He won't be if you insist on distracting him," Kaiba ground out. He couldn't afford to have his attention divided right now—if he wanted to have any chance of victory all his energy needed to be concentrated on taking down his opponent.

"At least he has his Dark Magician on the field."

"Yeah, but he had to give up half his life points to summon it," Mokuba sighed. With Yami down to his last five hundred life points, the outlook was incredibly grim. Everything thus far was working in Rafael's favor, and the pharaoh was barely managing to keep up his defenses.

The pharaoh closed his eyes. He held his hand just above his deck, but his draw was painfully slow. "Please," he murmured softly. "I… I c-can't keep this up much longer." His shoulders sagged in relief. "I call forth T-Timaeus! Fuse… Fuse with my D-Dark Magician!" Weary, crimson eyes brightened as the two monsters combined to create a new, more powerful creature. "Attack his G-Guardian Eatos!"

Even as he seemed to be slowly turning the tide, Tea's brow furrowed. "I've never seen him like this," she murmured.

A low growl rumbled in Rafael's throat. His eyes flashed as he bit out, "You'll pay for that, _Pharaoh_. No one sends my guardian to the graveyard!"

"It would appear I just did," Yami shot back, though his tone lacked any real bite. He gave a dry cough. "This… This duel is almost over."

His opponent gave a dark chuckle. "You're gonna have to do a lot better than that."

A fissure opened down the middle of the dueling arena, black wisps billowing up. "Meet my Guardian Dreadscythe!"

Yami felt his knees growing weak.

"Did I mention that he gains an additional five hundred attack points for each monster in my graveyard?" He glanced at the field. "So now I'll send all my monsters from the field to the graveyard to give him an even bigger boost."

"Rafael, you… you c-can't! The Seal is c-clouding your judgment. You h-hate having monsters in your graveyard!"

"Not as much as I hate you," he shot back. "Now! Guardian Dreadscythe, destroy his dragon!"

His Amulet Dragon vanished in a burst of light and his life points dwindled to a mere three hundred.

The pharaoh's eyes shifted to the ground. He'd pinned so many of his hopes on Timaeus, and now the dragon was gone. "There… There has to be something I can do…" He struggled to pull another card from his deck. "I activate U-Underworld Circle."

His heart stopped as a purple fog shrouded the arena. He shook his head, rasping, "No. I… I need more time!" The shadows writhed around him, their strength growing with each second.

But the puzzle remained intact.

Confusion clouded his eyes. "Where… Where are we?" He staggered forward, searching for something familiar in the purple haze. "Rafael?" As he moved forward, he was almost dizzy with relief—this wasn't the puzzle's doing. Perhaps it was a vision brought on by the Seal?

He halted as he came upon a young Rafael in the presence of Dartz. The boy was angry and grieving, and Dartz fed on it. As much as he wanted to hate his opponent, Yami's heart ached for him as the snake goaded him, driving him to unearth the remains of what Yami assumed had been his family. "R-Rafael, don't you see? He… He was m-manipulating you! Don't… Don't l-let him win by giving into the rage in your h-heart."

But the larger man remained impassive. "You won't talk your way out of this one, Pharaoh."

As the fog cleared, Rafael's disposition remained unchanged.

"Let's end this."

The pharaoh sank to his knees as his Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight fell to Rafael's guardian and his life points ticked down further. His trap had saved him, but with a mere ten life points left there wasn't much hope. His chest heaved as tears stung the corners of his eyes. "F-forgive me, Yugi," he breathed, giving forth a sound halfway between a gasp and a sob.

So cold… And everything ached. He wasn't sure he could stand again.

"Pathetic," Rafael sneered. "Get up and take your turn so we can end this."

"Come on," Tea breathed. "You can do it!"

"Yeah! You've been in _way_ tighter spots than this!" True, Tristan couldn't think of any off the top of his head, but all the same, they'd seen him pull through in the past.

"Stop your sniveling." Kaiba stepped forward, folding his arms across his chest.

"Seto," Mokuba murmured warningly, touching his brother's arm. He knew as well as anyone that sometimes a kick in the pants was the best motivation, but his brother never seemed to have come to understand that it wasn't _always_ the right choice. "Seto, calm down," he urged.

At the moment, Yami was fragile. He'd seen the way he'd internalized all the abuse Seto had flung at him when the gang had first contacted them via the webcam. Then, something had eventually snapped him out of it, but Mokuba wasn't sure if they'd be so lucky a second time.

"Let's go, Mokuba. There's no point watching anymore."

"You can't just give up," the child wheedled, eyes still on the field. "Everyone's counting on you!" He bounded as close to the pharaoh as the Seal would allow. "Maybe the next card won't help you. But you can't _know_ that if you don't draw it! If you have to lose, wouldn't you rather do it knowing you tried absolutely everything you possibly could first?"

"Mokuba, I… I ca—"

"You _can_," he insisted. "One more card. That's all it is."

"Mokuba's right," Tea pressed. "You just have to have faith!"

He barely managed to draw. He'd scarcely slept since their ordeal began and the physical exhaustion weighed on him almost as heavily as the shadows. His voice was weak as he called the final attack, fusing Hermos with his Queen's Knight to equip Eatos with Goddess Bow and allow him to destroy Rafael's guardian.

His opponent's eyes widened. "Eatos," he said softly as the monster was ultimately destroyed, "forgive me." He drew. "There's only one thing left to do…" He called forth all the monsters he'd sent to his graveyard, smiling as they crowded the field. "Congratulations, Pharaoh. You've won." He watched as five hundred life points vanished for each monster recalled to the field. It was finally over…

The Seal closed in around him and he closed his eyes, waiting for his soul to leave his body. Visions of his family and his guardians circled around him, his little brother clinging to him in a hug.

The fragment around his neck shattered.

"I don't understand…"

Yami managed a feeble smile. "You b-banished the darkness… The… The Seal could n-no longer feed on it to survive." His eyes drooped.

So tired…

Tea was the first to move. "Pharaoh! What's wrong?"

A tremor in the earth halted her path.

Kaiba looked to the sky, breathing a silent sigh of relief as the black Kaiba Corp helicopter descended. "The building's about to collapse. Mokuba, get to the helicopter. _Now._" Blue eyes shifted from the pharaoh to the edge of the building.

The whole structure shuddered.

There wasn't time. He couldn't get to him and still have enough time to carry him to the aircraft. He drew in a sharp breath as the floor split and Yami sank lower.

Tea hovered by the edge, assessing the distance. She could jump it. But could she get Yami across?

"I have to try," she breathed. She backed up a few steps to give herself a running start. Her eyes widened as Rafael grabbed the pharaoh's waist. "Let him go," she demanded.

"Catch!" He flung the smaller man as far as he could manage, watching as he landed unceremoniously on the other side of the rift. "Check his pocket. There's something there that you'll need if you plan to find Darts!"

"Gardner! _Move it_," Kaiba spat, collecting the pharaoh.

Laying him down as the helicopter took off, he watched Yami's chest rise and fall. He placed two fingers on his neck, just to be sure. "He's alive," he said grimly.

Hopefully with rest, he'd be able to recover enough of his strength by the time they landed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Long chapter! The duel with Dartz turned out to be an even bigger pain to deal with than the last one, partially because it's longer and partially because with all the layers of the Orichalcos and the Legendary Knights, I feel like I _still _have no idea what happened even though I just watched the episodes again. What I pieced together here is the result of much Googling! Anyway, some changes have been made to the canon events, which I'm sure you'll notice.**

**I'm very happy to note, though, that this is the last real duel I'll have to deal with for the time being! I mean, there's the fight with the Great Leviathan, but even though it uses monsters, it's not really a duel so it should be way less obnoxious to write. :D That makes me happy, and I'm also really looking forward to writing the end of the next chapter, which will deal with the final battle. In all honesty, the scene I have planned there is the whole reason for such rapid updates. I've kind of been sprinting to get to that point. ;)**

**Read and review, please!**

**~Pleurez**

Tea sat beside the pharaoh's limp body. She moved to brush a strand of hair out of his face, jerking back in surprise at the cold clamminess of his skin. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. "You're going to be okay. You have to be."

"That duel really took a lot out of him," Mokuba murmured. Still, he wasn't like the Joey or any of the other people Mokuba had seen fall victim to the Orichalcos. Their bodies remained motionless except for a faint rise and fall of the chest with their breaths. Yami trembled, and he twitched every now and again. Granted, the shaking probably wasn't a _good_ thing, but at least it meant there was still hope that he'd wake up.

"There's more to it than that," she said.

Mokuba looked away.

"You know what it is, don't you? Both you and your brother."

Mokuba winced. He didn't have the same poker face as his brother. It was something he'd been trying to work on—he couldn't afford to let people read him like a book in board meetings. But he had a long way to go before he'd be anywhere near as skilled in that regard as Seto. "I think he was afraid you'd panic if you knew," he sighed.

"Knew what," she pressed.

She knew she'd promised the pharaoh that she'd trust him, but the time for that had come and gone. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand seeing her friend lying unconscious, knowing something was very wrong, but not knowing what it was or if she could help. "Mokuba, please. This isn't the time for secrets."

He looked to his brother. But he remained just as unreadable as ever. Rolling his eyes skyward and hoping he was making the right decision, he explained, "Well, I guess I don't entirely understand it. But something about the Orichalcos is making him ill." He closed his eyes, trying to keep his voice calm. He knew he couldn't just fall apart. But everything seemed to be in a rapid downward spiral and it was getting harder and harder to stay positive. "He told Seto that he doesn't have much time left. That he's dying."

Tea took the pharaoh's hand in hers, squeezing it tight. "No," she said immediately. "He can't be…"

"He is," Kaiba cut in. Scathing eyes turned to Yami. "But that's beside the point, isn't it? Because he wouldn't be _lying_ there like that if he hadn't been so damned reckless."

"Kaiba," Tea scolded, "he was just trying to—"

"Save it for someone who cares," he barked.

"I'm worried about him, too. But fighting isn't going to help," Mokuba pleaded. A headache was brewing right behind his eyes. The situation had been stressful enough without everyone at each other's throats. "Whatever's wrong with him is because of the Seal. So all we have to do is take down Dartz, and then he'll be fine."

"Mister Kaiba? We've arrived."

"Let's make this quick." He moved to pick up the pharaoh, but Tea stood in his way.

"You can't be thinking of bringing him to Dartz like this!"

The CEO rolled his eyes. "Right. Because what we _should_ do is just _leave him here_ to fend for himself if one of Dartz's cronies comes looking for us."

"I'll stay—"

"And do _what_," he demanded. "He'd be better off fending for himself!"

"As much as I hate to say it, Tea, he's kind of got a point," Tristan sighed. He wasn't a duelist, and neither was Tea. If it came down to fighting off one of those monsters, there wouldn't be much they could do.

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't protest further.

Kaiba grit his teeth. "If I thought it was safe here, do you really think I'd even consider bringing Mokuba into this lunatic's lair?" Without waiting for an answer, he took hold of the Pharaoh.

Inside the temple, Kaiba nearly dropped him.

He gave a start, crimson eyes snapping open. "K-Kaiba! Put me down," he demanded breathlessly. His head whipped to the side and he began trying to squirm his way out of the CEO's grasp.

"What the hell?"

"He… He's here," he insisted. "Y-Yugi!"

"You're hallucinating."

"_No_. His… His spirit. I can f-feel it. Please. Let go."

As soon as his feet hit the floor, the pharaoh stumbled to the wall. He ignored the pain in his muscles, pushing forward with a frenzied determination. "Yugi!" His voice was weak but urgent. "Where… Where a-are you?" His breaths were short and shallow, but because of the excitement of having finally found his charge more than from pain.

He couldn't be wrong.

He felt the shadows recoiling, their hold weakening. It had to be him.

"Yugi, please! A-answer me," he pleaded.

"Welcome," a voice purred from the front of the room.

He whipped around. "Dartz," he spat.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

Kaiba clenched his fists. "Give me back my company," he demanded.

"Where… Where is he," Yami demanded. "R-Release him!"

"My, my. Don't you two sound like a fine pair of broken records," he drawled, though his eyes narrowed as they fell on Yami. He folded his arms, observing him. He was much weaker than Dartz would have liked him. But there was something stirring in his soul, feeding him and giving him strength.

He'd planned to feed the pharaoh's friends to the Leviathan first out of spite… But perhaps the boy's soul was the key to keeping him alive long enough to have his soul extracted. That was just too bad, but perhaps he could find another use for the brat in the meantime.

"If you really want your company back, the answer's quite simple. Duel me."

"No. It's too dangerous," the pharaoh insisted, though Kaiba's duel disk was already raised.

"Trying to protect him? How touching." His lips twitched into a smirk. "Of course, you _could_ join him, you know."

"_Don't_."

"Very well."

"Pharaoh! Are you sure you can handle it," Tea asked. "You were in pretty bad shape."

"He can't," Kaiba sneered. He turned to Yami. "Get lost. I can fight my own battles."

"I'm not a child. I don't need you to protect me," the pharaoh ground out. With Yugi near, the shadows would be kept at bay long enough for him to manage. "Let's duel."

"You'd better know what you're doing," Kaiba hissed. He drew his hand, managing to get his Blue Eyes on the field within his first turn.

Mokuba grinned as the pharaoh also summoned one of his most powerful creatures. "Look, guys! They've already got some of their strongest monsters on the field. This thing's in the bag!"

"You underestimate me."

Yami grew rigid as the Seal activated, surrounding the playing field. He hoped that with Yugi's spirit still near, the effects of the seal would be lessened. But only time would tell. "I call forth Orichalcos Gigas. I believe you've met before. And I sacrifice five hundred of my life points to summon Orichalcos Kyutora in defense mode."

The pharaoh cursed as he set the monster in his back row, rendering it unable to be destroyed until Orichalcos Gigas left the field. Except, the creature was almost impossible to get rid of.

"I fuse my Blue Eyes White Dragon to create Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon." His eyes narrowed. "It's your move. You'd better not mess this up."

"I use Polymerization to fuse our monsters to form Master of Dragon Soldier! Next, I activate Meteorain. Now, Master of Dragon Soldier, destroy his Orichalcos Gigas!" His eyes shifted to the walls. Soon, Yugi would be free and this whole nightmare would be over.

"What are you so happy about? You just lost," Kaiba spat.

"Oh, have I?"

His eyes widened—Dartz's life points remained untouched. "What did you do?"

"Did I forget to mention the special ability of my Orichalcos Kyutora? He absorbs all damage that would be done to my life points." Bi-colored eyes glinted wickedly. "And since you can't destroy him, I'm invincible. Now, I acticate Orichalcos Deuteros."

The pharaoh gasped, doubling over in pain as the black energy of the second layer of the seal coursed through him, lending strength to the shadows.

Their opponent scowled. He'd have to tread more carefully. If he allowed the shadows to consume the pharaoh, his soul would be useless to the Great Beast. He needed him in one piece. His next turn came after another futile attempt on his life points.

"Now, I activate Mirror Knight Calling to bring forth four Mirror Knight Tokens."

The pharaoh watched helplessly as one token took down Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and the second his Black Luster Soldier, leaving both of them wide open for an attack. His knees buckled as one of the tokens struck him, decreasing his life points by five hundred.

"Get up," Kaiba snarled. "You were the one who wanted this duel. Now you'd damned well better finish it."

His Ring of Destruction took out Dart's Mirror Knight Calling. "Now your tokens can be destroyed."

"Oh, really?" The helmets cracked, falling away.

A sudden warmth coursed through the pharaoh's veins. "No," he rasped. The distance between himself and his charge's soul had closed. Yami could feel him somewhere within the confines of the Orichalcos. His face paled as his eyes settled on the Mirror Knight Tokens.

The helmets clattered to the floor, revealing the faces of their friends.

"What the _hell_ did you do," he demanded, voice rising in pitch.

"It's just a trick," Kaiba seethed. "He's trying to distract you."

"Is it? If you're so sure, Kaiba, then why don't you attack one? But be warned, whatever might happen to their souls will be on _your_ conscience."

Kaiba scoffed. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have one."

Yami's resolve wavered. He looked down at his trap card. Looking away, shoulder slumped in resignation, he murmured, "I have no choice but to end my turn."

"You can't be serious!"

"Well, then it's back to me. Mirror Knight Yugi, attack your other half now." He practically purred in delight. "Really, you should be thanking me. This is _his_ chance to give you exactly what you deserve for what you've done to him before both of you are sacrificed to the Great Leviathan."

He frowned as Yugi refused to move.

"What are you waiting for? He's the reason your soul's trapped here! Punish him!"

The fire faded from the pharaoh's eyes as they remained fixed on the ground, waiting for the blow to come. Dartz wasn't wrong… It was his mistake that put Yugi in harm's way. If his charge chose to strike him, it would be well deserved.

"He's lying," Tea insisted. "Yugi doesn't blame you for anything! You have to know that!"

"Fine. Protect him for now if you like. But sooner or later, you'll see sense." He set one card face down and it was Kaiba's move.

"Well _I_ won't be put off by your mind games. I summon Different Dimension Dragon! Kaiser Glider, attack Mirror Knight Mai!"

"Kaiba, no. Please. I beg you," the pharaoh pleaded.

"You can do what you want, but I plan to win."

"Are you _sure_," Dartz drawled. "Are you really okay with the possibility that you could destroy a soul?"

"Please. It's how I make my living," he shot back, unfazed as his monster lost its shield. "Now, Different Dimension Dragon, finish her!"

Kaiba snarled as Joey intercepted the attack, losing his shield but leaving all four of Dartz's knights on the field. "Two of them can be destroyed. _Finish the job_," he spat.

"We'll be fine."

His head shot up as he heard Yugi's voice coming from the Mirror Knight Token. "Yugi?"

"It's okay."

The pharaoh shook his head. It was too much of a risk, and he'd hurt his charge so much already… "I pass."

"When this is over, you're _dead_," Kaiba ground out. He wanted nothing more than to go over and shake some sense into that spiky head. The duel was still going, but Yami's posture screamed defeat.

"I activate Twin Bow Centaur. This card allows me to select one monster on my side of the field and one of yours. It will then choose one of them to destroy." His scrutinized the field. He could choose Yugi. But the pharaoh had grown stronger since his placement on the field—he was able to draw without shaking and if not for his panic at the thought of killing his friends, his breaths would have grown deeper and more even. And Dartz needed his soul to be strong if he wanted it to last long enough to be fed to the beast.

But the blond one… The pharaoh seemed quite attached to him as well, and his soul wasn't really doing anything for anyone. "I select Mirror Knight Joseph and Kaiba's Kaiser Glider."

Part of him hoped that the centaur chose his monster. It wasn't as if he couldn't afford to lose the life points, and he wanted to see the pharaoh's grief. "Oh, dear. It seems Kaiba's the unlucky one."

The CEO shot a venomous glare at Yami as his life points decreased to a mere six hundred. "Satisfied," he sneered.

He managed to save himself for another turn, but with Dartz's life points over fifteen thousand and Yami still refusing to attack the Mirror Knights, there seemed to be little he could do beyond stalling for time.

"Now I place Orichalcos Tritos on the field."

He set his sights on Kaiba's dragon. "Orichalcos Malevolence's effect allows me to switch your monster from defense to attack mode. Now, destroy his monster!"

"You've triggered my trap, Shrink! Your monster's attack is reduced by half."

"Not so fast, Kaiba." The card's image shattered and his monster remained unharmed. "The third layer of the Orichalcos allows me to destroy any trap or magic card directed at my monsters. Get ready to lose your soul."

"Haven't you figured it out yet? I don't have one!" Though beneath his bravado, his mind was working at a million miles an hour. There had to be something he could do to stop the attack. But as he stared at his hand, he came up with nothing.

"I activate Ambush Shield! Transfer Big Shield Gardna's defense points to Different Dimension Dragon's attack strength!"

Dartz shrugged casually. "You're just delaying the inevitable. Now. Shall we see if Yugi's finally seen reason? Mirror Knights, attack the pharaoh's life points directly."

Yugi struggled against the order, but found himself unable to defy Dartz's compulsion. His heart broke as the pharaoh gave an agonized cry when his sword found its mark, but there was nothing he could do. "It seems your little friends have finally realize you aren't worth protecting."

Mai struck next, followed by Joey.

"Yugi-boy!" Pegasus' voice sounded from his token as it rushed to attack the pharaoh. He halted. "Tell me you have the card I gave you! It's the key to ending this!"

"Enough stalling," Dartz snarled. "_Attack_!"

"Use the card," he repeated before launching his attack.

Tears pooled in the pharaoh's eyes.

Mokuba sighed, "He's in pretty bad shape, isn't he?"

He could see the pharaoh processing everything Dartz said, the attack feeding into his own feelings of worthlessness. "Dartz just won," he breathed. He may still have had life points left, but Yami was crushed.

"I'm sorry, Yugi," he murmured.

"Pull yourself together," Kaiba ground out. "How many times do I have to tell you, these are just stupid mind games!" He had to get the tokens off the field fast. Maybe if they were defeated, Yami would actually start dueling… "I summon Fang of Critias!"

Dartz paled as the legendary dragon came to the field.

"Now, I'll bet anything that face down card is Mirror Force. So, Critias, fuse with his trap and destroy his Mirror Tokens."

"You can't," Yami breathed, eyes turning to Yugi. His vision blurred and his breaths were painfully audible. "Please, I'm _begging you_." He couldn't see Yugi destroyed.

The shadows writhed, swarming his thoughts. _His soul's as good as dead. And you know what that means._

He shook his head. "No. It… It can't be."

_No reincarnation. Ours forever. In the cold and the dark, with no memories except how you failed._

"_Kaiba_," he rasped as the CEO refused to call off the attack.

"We'll be fine," Yugi's voice insisted. "Yami, it's okay." His other half was on the verge of a panic attack, and that was a setback they couldn't afford. He struggled against the magic binding him in place, slowly traversing the field.

As Kaiba's monster prepared to attack, he touched the pharaoh's hand. Warmth washed over him, so painfully and achingly familiar. "Listen to me. It's what he has to do. We'll be alright." He gave a reassuring smile just before the attack struck him, freeing his spirit from the monster and returning it to the wall.

A shiver ran down his spine as he felt Yugi's spirit distance itself from him, suddenly separated by the Seal. He gave an unintelligible cry of grief, searching the room desperately for even the slightest trace of his charge's spirit. "He's… He's safe," he rasped. He could still feel him, though it was faint.

"Now don't you wish you'd _listened to me_," Kaiba ground out. "If you—" He stopped as Dartz activated a card to force his dragon into combat with his newest, absurdly over powered monster. There was nothing either he or Yami could do to stop his life points from ticking down to zero.

"I activate Wish of Final Effort to transfer Mirror Force Dragon's attack points!"

His knees buckled as the Seal closed in around him.

"Kaiba!" Yami caught him before he hit the ground. "Kaiba, are you alright?"

Blue eyes narrowed disdainfully. "Don't fuck this up any more than you already have," he spat before his soul was pulled from his body.

"Seto?" Mokuba ran to the barrier. "Seto, come on! Get up!"

"I'm feeling generous," Dartz purred. "You can have what' left of him." A burst of energy flung the CEO outside the Orichalcos and he landed with a harsh _thud_ beside Mokuba.

The child shook his brother's shoulder. "Come on, open your eyes." His voice broke, shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs. "Bring him back! You bring him back right now!"

"Forgive me," the pharaoh breathed. It was his fault. If he'd attacked, perhaps Kaiba's life points would have been safe. But he'd already betrayed Yugi once… It hadn't been able to bring himself to risk his safety again for the sake of victory.

"You'd better win!"

He stroked his brother's hair, clinging to his limp body. "Please come back."

"You can do this," Tea insisted.

Dartz's eyes narrowed. "I've had quite enough of your meddling."

An eye appeared behind him as the earth shook. He extended his hand and a burst of energy came forth, throwing Yugi's friends across the temple. They lay in a heap, just as lifeless as the soulless husks left in the Orichalcos' wake had been. But even despite Dartz's assault, Mokuba hadn't let go of his brother. His arms still clung to Seto, his head resting on his shoulder.

"What have you done?"

Dartz scoffed. "Nothing. They're all alive, I just wanted to talk to you without their interference. That's not so bad, is it?"

He fixed the pharaoh with a cat-like grin. "Now, tell me. Do you ever get tired of it?" He gave an indulgent chuckle as the pharaoh's brow furrowed. "Hurting the ones you love, I mean."

The pharaoh's eyes shot up.

"Oh, dear. Have I struck a nerve?" He gestured to his walls of souls. "But am I wrong? It was _your_ action that led to your other half being trapped here, wasn't it? And then Kaiba. Your _inaction_ cost him his soul. Not to mention the child you've left without a brother."

"_No_! That was your doing!"

"Face it, Pharaoh. You had the chance to protect all of them. But you were either too selfish or too incompetent."

"I'm going to make things right," he insisted.

"All you have to do is surrender," Dartz purred. "Place your had over your deck, Pharaoh, and you'll be sealed away, never to hurt another soul again. What other choice do you have? Even if you did manage to win, it would only be a temporary solution. How long would it be until you put them in danger again?"

Yami flinched.

Visions of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City flashed before him. Pegasus capturing the soul of Yugi's grandfather and locking it away… The spirt of the ring coming after Yugi and his friends to get to the puzzle… Marik and his rare hunters tracking them down. Chaining Joey and Yugi to an anchor. Kaiba forced into a duel atop a building whose ceiling was set to shatter as soon as their life points hit zero… He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head to try to banish the memories.

"You know it's true."

Arcana's blades. Ryou injured. Mai's mind banished to the shadows.

"Surrender, pharaoh. Take your fate into your own hands. Choose your destiny—stop yourself from causing further harm. You can't win anyway. Accept the end with dignity."

His hand hovered over his duel disk. Perhaps Dartz was right… Perhaps the best thing he could do for Yugi's friends at this point was to remove himself from their lives so he couldn't hurt anyone else. "I'm a danger to them…"

His deck glowed, shedding a vibrant white light. An angry roar shook the temple, a vision of the dragons appearing before the pharaoh. Timaeus regarded him, jaws parted and fangs baring. "You betrayed us, Pharaoh. And yet we gave you a second chance. Are you going to make us regret that now?"

The pharaoh looked away. He was so tired… Distanced from Yugi by the Orichalcos, there was no longer sufficient light to ward off the shadows. The cold made his bones ache. He'd lost his charge again, and he was utterly alone and without a single advantage. But the dragon's eyes bored into him, piercing his very being.

"There is hope yet. And even if you were to fail, better to go down fighting than dying a coward's death."

His opponent snarled as he pulled a card from his deck. He felt its energy thrumming beneath his fingers—it was the card Pegasus told him to use. "I play Legendary Heart to unleash the true forms of the legendary dragons!"

As the knights appeared, the Seal encircling the arena shattered.

"The Orichalcos—"

"Is useless in our presence," Timeaus said sharply.

The pharaoh managed a weary smile as the duel finally turned in his favor. Within the next two turns, his knights had cleared the field of Dartz's Orichalcos Shunoros. "It's over," he breathed.

"Not quite. My Orichalcos Shunoros may be destroyed, but it allows me to summon Divine Serpent Geh. And as long as he remains in play, I remain in the duel."

"No monster is invincible."

Dartz shrugged casually. "Believe what you like, but you'll be hard pressed to overcome a beast with infinite attack points."

"Legendary Knight Critias, absorb the effect of Attack Guidance Barrier!" He continued in a chain of cards allowing the legendary knights to attack the Divine Serpent in an endless loop, driving up the strength of the attack to match the infinite power of the serpent. "Now, Timaeus! Absorb the attack strength of Criteas and Hermos. Timaeus the Knight of Destiny, destroy his Divine Serpent!"

He felt weak with relief as the monster vanished, ending the duel. "Alright, Dartz. Now release the souls you've captured!"

Dartz gave a wicked chuckle, his eyes flicking to the rift Timaeus had created, calling into existence a temporary link between their world and the world of the Leviathan. The monster tore free, consuming Dartz.

A flash burst from the tear. "We can't free all the souls, but we will offer what assistance we can." The knights pulled two orbs of light from the rift, releasing the souls of Kaiba and Joey to return to their bodies.

"But what of Yugi?"

Timaeus frowned. He called for the boy's soul, searching to locate him and pull him back to their dimension. But before he could cross the barrier, the portal slammed shut. The knight staggered back, turning to face the pharaoh. "I'm sorry."

Yami felt numb. Suddenly, each limb was impossibly heavy, his eyes unfocused and unseeing. This was all wrong. He'd defeated Dartz. The threat of the Leviathan was neutralized. Yugi should have been freed. He sank to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself. "I can't… I can't feel him anymore."

"The Leviathan's taken him. The only way to get him back is to vanquish the beast," Timaeus remarked.

Hostile, watery eyes snapped to the knight. "Dartz was _defeated_! He couldn't summon the Leviathan!" His grip on his arms grew tighter, such that he could feel the sharpness of his fingernails even through the fabric of his coat.

Dartz's face appeared before him, smug and self-satisfied as ever. "Plans change, _Pharaoh._ But you're more than welcome to come find me and try again."

But the pharaoh remained on the ground. Once again, he'd been robbed of his victory. He'd had it in his grasp, and it had slipped away. The whole endeavor was beginning to feel so, horrifically hopeless, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to get up and try again.

If Yugi's soul had truly been consumed… He feared even if he killed the Leviathan, his charge's soul would remain lost. Perhaps it would be best to remain where he was and wait for the shadows to finally claim their victory.


	11. Chapter 11

**Yami faces the Leviathan to save Yugi! The end of this chapter is the scene that I've been waiting for since I started this, and I'm _entirely_ too thrilled to be able to begin the next chapter. Because for me, this is where the fun really begins. Bwahahaha.**

**Enjoy! ;)**

**Read and review, please.**

**~Pleurez**

Kaiba woke first. Perhaps his soul reintegrated quicker because it had been absent for less time. Or perhaps it was just that he'd never be able to live with himself if he allowed Joey to finish first in anything. Whatever the case, he opened his eyes, but remained still, taking stock of the situation.

A dull throbbing radiated from his side. His head was pounding, pain shooting from the back of his skull.

Nothing felt broken…

However, his assessment was cut short by a shout of, "Hey, guys! Get up."

The familiar, obnoxious accent did nothing for his headache… His eyes narrowed in disdain as Joey bounded to his feet without a second thought. "Hey rich boy! You there?"

"Shut it, Wheeler," he growled, cautiously pushing himself into a sitting position.

His eyes turned murderous as he saw the motionless form of his brother. "Dartz," he hissed. Knocking him out was one thing. But if Mokuba was injured… He brushed wild, black locks away from his face. "Mokuba?" He closed his eyes as he moved to search for a pulse, afraid of what he might find.

The child stirred. His brow furrowed, and his eyes fluttered open. "Seto?" Gray eyes lit up. "Seto! You're back!" He flung himself at his brother, wrapping his arms around him and hiding his face in his shoulder.

He gathered his crying brother into his arms. "It's alright, Mokuba. You'll have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me."

Tea was next, followed closely by Tristan. She looked from Joey to Kaiba. Her head pounded and she found herself struggling to place the last thing she remembered. There was a duel… Something about the pharaoh and Dartz. She murmured uncertainly, "Kaiba lost and…"

Her eyes widened.

"Kaiba! Joey! You're awake! Does that mean…"

Her attention turned to the pharaoh, still on his knees, staring blankly at the floor. Her brow furrowed as she took in his trembling form. "Pharaoh? Is… Is Yugi back?"

His answer was a strangled sob.

Gone. Yugi was gone. And it was all his fault.

A keening cry of grief echoed throughout the temple.

Tea was torn. The pharaoh was in pain, and her instinct was to offer comfort. But, frankly, she wasn't sure if there was anything she could do. She kept her distance, her heart breaking not only for him, but over the continued absence of Yugi.

"Are you going to get up and fight or not," Timaeus demanded, good eye narrowing as he observed the pharaoh in his grief. "You can either sit here and cry or do something about it and vanquish Dartz's beast."

"_Really_," he spat, getting to his feet, pinning the knight to the spot with a glare from red-rimmed, puffy eyes. He took a step forward, hissing hysterically, "Why is this time different? First… First the duel with his spirit. Then f-finding Dartz at Kaiba corp. Then a duel…!" His chest rose and fell in harsh, ragged bursts. "Every time… Every time it was supposed to bring him back! And it never did!" His voice was rough, raw with the pain of a fresh loss—a wound that at each turn he sought to heal, but found nothing more than someone else to pick it open and rub salt in it.

"Think rationally. If you fight, you stand a chance. Remaining here to moan about how horribly unfair it all is will certainly leave you with nothing."

"Do you think this is helping," Tea demanded sharply. She prowled over to the pharaoh and the knights. "He needs support. Belittling him and mocking his grief won't do anything."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You losers do whatever you want. But _I'm_ going after Dartz." It was bad enough that he'd taken over Kaiba Corp. But after assaulting Mokuba, there was no way Kaiba was going to let him remain in once piece.

"Come on! We can't just let him go on his own," Joey urged. This fight was bigger than all of them. If they didn't stand united, there was no hope.

"If this doesn't work," the pharaoh ground out, "I swear by all the gods of Egypt I'll—"

"Save the empty threats, Pharaoh," Timaeus scoffed. "You and I both know you can't do a thing to me." He jerked his head towards the stone serpents in the temple. "Go collect your allies. You'll need all the help you can get."

The pair exchanged a nasty glare as the pharaoh moved to the mouths of the snakes. It hurt to pick up the god cards and feel their lifelessness. He ached to feel the familiar hum of their power beneath his fingers, and he found himself wishing he could have them just absorb the legendary knights and feed on their strength. He could have trusted the gods.

Tea placed a hand on his shoulder. "One more fight and he'll be gone forever."

Yami shrugged her hand away, leaving the temple without another word.

Outside, the sea churned, the lost city rising from its depths. A ray of green pierced the sky and the ground trembled beneath their feet. "What the—" Joey's jaw dropped as a massive wave loomed on the horizon, gaining height with each second as the ancient structures displaced steadily growing quantities of water.

"That's where Dartz is." Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "But how do we get there?" He doubted flying would be possible given the weather. And walking was certainly out of the question…

"Here, I'll make it nice and easy for you," the voice of their adversary drawled as a portal came into existence.

Yami surfaced just as the swirling vortex opened. Though he claimed to be ready to fight, his movements were stilted, his face ashen and his shoulders slumped. "Here. Take these." His voice was dead as he offered Kiaba and Joey their respective dragons. His strength was fading fast—the duel with Dartz had exhausted him and the subsequent failure to rescue Yugi had all but destroyed whatever was left of him.

Kaiba scoffed, but chose not to comment. Instead, he placed the card in his deck and said, "Alright, let's make this fast." As he stepped through the portal, Mokuba ran forward.

"Mokuba, stop," Tea said gently. "Your brother can handle himself. The best thing any of us can do for them is to wait." They were going to have it hard enough without having to worry about protecting someone else.

Kaiba prowled to the palace courtyard, snarling, "Alright, Dartz! Enough with the games." He stopped before the image of the former king, apparently encased in ice. He moved to grab hold of him, hissing in frustration as the image shattered, pieces scattering like ash in the wind.

Crimson eyes shifted to the sky. The monster hovered above them, yellow eyes ablaze with malevolence against the ebony backdrop of its scales, its jaws parted in a snarl. The head of Dartz peered down at them, a mere speck on the creature's hide. "I had planned to resurrect the Leviathan with the power of your souls. But in their absence, my own, equally powerful soul will have to suffice."

"Come forth, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Gadget Soldier, and Vorse Raider!"

"Dark Magician, Summoned Skull, Kuriboh," Yami murmured.

Kaiba's lips curled at the sight of the pharaoh's little ball of fluff. "_That's_ the card you want to use," he demanded.

Yami managed a tired glare. The card reminded him of Yugi. He hated to do it, but he also called forth the legendary knight Timaeus. He couldn't quite hide the disdain in his tone as he said the knight's name.

"I call on Critias!"

"And Hermos!"

Their beasts, combined with the power of the legendary knights, launched themselves at the Leviathan. The beast hardly seemed to notice, brushing away all their efforts without a single scratch. It arched its head back.

"Timaeus, absorb Big Shield Gardna!"

The barrier formed to intercept the beast's attack, but no monsters remained, save the knights. The best reared back again, unleashing its fury a second time, obliterating the only things standing between it and its prey.

"Amusing as this had been, it's time to accept your fate and join the others within the Great Leviathan!"

Black tentacles sprang forth, wrapping themselves around the three duelists. Yami struggled, clawing desperately at the appendage. It was so cold… Just like the shadows of the puzzle, which surged forth, clinging to any part of him that the beast had not managed to grip.

_The time has come,_ they purred, feeding on the darkness of the beast. _You've failed_.

His muscles stiffened, entire body seeming to rebel against him as the shadows' chains strengthened around him. He thrust his arm up in an effort to keep his duel disk out of their grasp, but the rest of him sank beneath the surface, into the blackness. He felt his heart slowing.

Soon he'd be gone…

His breaths grew weaker.

"Yugi… I tried," he rasped.

A sudden burst of white erupted from the depths, flying towards the pharaoh's deck. As it passed, the achingly familiar light spoke to him. "All isn't lost. Call on the souls—if the beast is fueled by darkness, awaken the light within them."

The monsters stirred in his deck, the gods beginning to wake.

_Help me… Please, _he projected with his thoughts, unable to verbalize his plea. _Find… Find your strength. Lend it to me so we… so we can be free…_

Another bolt of brightness struck his deck, beginning a slow trickle which grew to a steady stream. He could hear the gods, calling for their vengeance. In a blinding flash of tri-colored light, they came forth, dragging their master from the depths of the monster with them.

But he fell.

He lay on the stone, motionless except for the faint tremors coursing through him.

_Go. Before my strength is gone_.

Crimson eyes fluttered open, helpless to do anything beyond watch his gods launch their attack. Slowly, he pushed himself to his knees, gritting his teeth against the pain. _Save him. Save them all_.

The attack hit its mark.

But he lacked even the strength to smile as souls rained down from the sky in brilliant orbs.

_Yugi_…

He struggled to hold on. He needed to see him—to see with his own eyes that his charge was safe.

"You haven't won yet, Pharaoh!" The shadow of the weakened creature loomed over him. "There will always be darkness within the hearts of men. And as long as that remains, the Great Leviathan will never die."

Gripping the fountain in the courtyard for support, the pharaoh pulled himself to his feet. Sweat soaked his brow and pain darkened his eyes. "Sudden… Sudden death," he rasped. He lifted his eyes to the beast. "If… If I can shoulder the… the burden, you will be gone. And these souls will be… spared forever." His voice was scarcely more than a whisper. The entirety of his weight leaned against the stone structure—if it were absent he would have fallen.

Spurred by his weakness, the beast set upon him.

He couldn't manage more than a feeble shout, but the pain was blinding. The darkness tore at his soul, trying to tear it to pieces to be devoured one by one. His body convulsed, muscles jerking in spasms as each nerve was set ablaze.

_Yugi_…

If he couldn't see him in person, he would have to settle for the memories he'd created. His thoughts turned to his charge. His laugh… His smile… The fierce protectiveness that swelled within the spirit the moment he was threatened. The desire to save the boy, even if it destroyed him.

The corners of his lips curled upward.

Ending his freedom with the thoughts of his friends wasn't such a bad way to die.

And then it was over. The beast reared back, unable to remain in the face of the brilliant warmth of the bonds the pharaoh had formed with his friends.

He slumped over as the vanquished creature of darkness disappeared.

"Come on. We have to get out of here!"

He was dimly aware of the voices of Kaiba and Joey around him. They each took hold of one of his arms, hauling him towards the portal. He wanted to tell them to leave—to save themselves and leave him behind. It was too late, anyway. But he couldn't form the syllables.

As they returned to their world, there was a sensation of falling.

His body struck the ground.

The puzzle shattered, scattering hundreds of fragments of gold across the pavement, the pharaoh lying in their midst as they glittered in their triumph.


	12. Chapter 12

**So here's a new chapter, in which you get a good look at what's going on with Yami since the puzzle shattered. ;) Fun for me, not so much for him. Don't hate me! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

"What the fuck are you doing," Kaiba snarled, taking hold of Joey's shoulder.

"Piss off, rich boy," the blond snarled, shaking the shoulder of his unconscious friend. "Come on, Yug! I know you're in there somewhere!"

"_Stop moving him!_" Blue eyes narrowed scornfully as the CEO crouched beside the fallen body of the pharaoh.

Joey moved to shove him away. "Just because—"

"Stop it both of you," Mokuba interrupted, squeezing his way between them. His voice was softer than Kaiba's, laced with concern. "Yelling isn't going to help anyone." He moved to touch his brother's hand, sighing as Seto jerked away, exhaling sharply, eyes still fixed on Yugi's body.

Tea knelt to the floor, beginning to pick up the pieces of the puzzle. Yugi would want them when he woke, and there wasn't much else she could do at the moment. She shook her head. This was all such a mess. On the one hand, fighting wasn't going to solve anything. On the other, they had all been through too much, and Joey and Kaiba was a volatile combination even at the best of times…

"I hate to say it, Joey, but Kaiba's got a point," Tristan interjected. "He did just take a pretty nasty fall. If he isn't awake to tell us, we can't be sure he didn't hurt anything."

"Well, then what do you suggest? We're on an island in the middle of nowhere! It's not like we can call an ambulance," Joey snapped. Sure, maybe they didn't have to move him right at that moment, but they'd have to do it eventually. They couldn't just leave him there.

As calmly as he could manage, Mokuba, explained, "Roland should still be in the helicopter."

"And?"

"Do I have to explain _everything,_ Wheeler? Do you think I would even _consider_ hiring someone who wasn't First Aid and CPR certified as my head of security?" Being able to fight and handle a weapon was all well and good, but he also couldn't have his security staff losing their heads the moment someone was injured.

He was also more than competent, but the mutt didn't seem to be very much inclined to listen to him.

But just as Mokuba was about to run off to the helicopter, Yugi stirred. "Guys," he asked groggily.

"Yug!"

He sat up slowly, brow furrowed. He felt like he was in a fog. "Joey?"

"You had us worried, bud!"

"Yugi?" Tea looked up from the puzzle pieces. He nearly fell over backwards as she flung her arms around him. "It really is you!" She let her tears flow freely. "Don't you _ever_ do that to us again, Yugi! Do you hear me? Never again!"

He managed a weak grin. "Come on, Tea. We all knew the pharaoh would beat Dartz!" Though, his voice lacked its usual conviction. He'd always had faith in his other half, but he'd have been lying if he said the whole ordeal hadn't been frightening.

Speaking of the pharaoh…

His hands moved to where his puzzle should have been, finding nothing. His eyes widened in a panic. He probed his mind, searching desperately for the spirit's presence.

Nothing.

"Where's my puzzle," he asked, looking to his friends. Before they could say anything, the glint of gold on the stone caught his eye. "No…"

"I'm sorry, Yugi. It all happened so fast…"

"But the pharaoh…"

"He's probably fine," Joey remarked. "I mean, if he's an ancient spirit, he was around long before you put the puzzle together the first time. I bet if you solve it again, he'll be back good as new!"

Yugi picked up one of the pieces, running his fingers over the cold metal. His throat constricted, his eyes filling with tears. He knew it had worked last time—the pharaoh had survived Bandit Keith breaking the puzzle after their duel in the warehouse… But he and the pharaoh had already been apart so long… He missed him.

Kaiba scooped up some of the pieces and handed them to Yugi. "Wheeler'd better be right. The bastard made a mess of my coat, and I expect reimbursement from him."

"Kaiba," Joey growled, eyes flashing.

Tea just shook her head. "Don't," she advised softly.

Mokuba tried to take his brother's hand again. When Seto didn't pull away, he gave a reassuring squeeze. He knew his brother wanted the pharaoh back just as much as everyone else. He was just too proud to say it.

* * *

><p>Dark.<p>

Cold.

Yami couldn't see anything in the suffocating blackness.

_You failed, little pharaoh_. A wisp caressed his cheek, drawing a gasp from his lips. The touch burned.

He shook his head. "I… I saved him…"

The wisp drew back, striking the pharaoh with such force that it sent him sprawling. _So? You're the reason he was in danger in the first place_. A black figure loomed over him. He couldn't make out the shape, but he could feel its presence. _Do you _honestly_ think he'll put the puzzle together again after everything _you_ put him through?_

A dark appendage wrapped around his neck, hauling him up.

_He hates you, little pharaoh. You'll be lucky if he doesn't destroy the pieces._

He kicked out, struggling blindly to break free as the pressure around his throat grew, stifling his breaths. His entire body shuddered as he felt a frigid breath on the back of his neck. _Why don't you see for yourself?_

For a moment, the shadows seemed to withdraw. Yami fell to the ground, landing in a graceless heap, gasping for breath. The blackness eased. Through the darkness, he could make out shapes. He could just make out the walls of his prison. But there was something else—in the distance, something moved.

He squinted, inching closer. "Is… Is someone there?"

"Forgotten me already, Yami?"

The pharaoh felt the air driven from his lungs. He knew that voice… Though the darkness still obscured the figure's features, he'd recognize his short stature and the gravity defying spikes of his hair anywhere.

"Yugi…"

Finally, his face came into view. Except his large, purple eyes were dark with anger, devoid of their usual kindness. He hadn't even looked so hateful during their duel… But, no. The pharaoh shook his head. It couldn't be him. Not like this, amidst the shadows… If he'd solved the puzzle, they'd have been driven away…

_Or perhaps you don't understand the magic as well as you think_.

Crimson eyes scrutinized the boy. He looked so much like Yugi. And he had Yugi's voice… He shook his head again. "It… It c-can't be…"

_But it is._

"What's the matter? Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am," the pharaoh blurted out, struggling to his feet to approach his other half. It looked so much like him… "I… I never meant for any of this to happen," he murmured. "I know you may never forgive me, bu—"

"You're right."

Yami recoiled, as if he'd been struck.

"I've risked my _life_ for you, Yami. And how did you repay me? Gambling with my _soul_?" As much as he knew they were deserved, hearing those accusations flung at him in his partner's voice hurt worse than he could have ever imagined.

The boy stamped his foot. "Well, I hope no one _ever_ solves the puzzle again! You can stay _here_ forever, where you can't hurt anyone else."

"Y-Yugi," he breathed, sinking to his knees.

"But first… First I'm going to make sure you pay for what you did." His hand moved to his waist, unbuckling his belt.

The pharaoh's eyes watched him, so overwhelmed with grief that he felt as if he could scarcely move. Slowly, he looked away. "Very well," he whispered, voice almost inaudible. He remained where he was, accepting the blows as they rained down upon him.

At first, he barely noticed the pain. It was nothing compared to the pain of being so reviled by the boy he'd been sworn to protect. But it didn't stop—if he had the presence of mind, he would have marveled at the strength Yugi must have possessed to continue to strike with such force.

He lay sprawled on the ground as skin split and welts formed. When his charge's rage finally seemed to have been spent, he murmured, "I… I'm sorry."

A sneaker collided with his ribs, and in an instant Yugi was gone, taking with him the pharaoh's sight.

Yami's world descended once again into absolute blackness.

_No hope, little pharaoh. You'll never see the light again._

A memory stirred. It was stupid, some conversation he and Yugi had had. He laughed, and Yugi blushed furiously, demanding that he shut up. It started with the background. Yugi's bedroom grew fuzzy. Suddenly he found himself unable to recall what color his charge's sheets had been.

He shook his head, pleading, "No…"

_That's right, pharaoh. No memories, except of your failure_.

Soon, the rest began to slip away. His smile. His laugh. His childlike innocence… Until the only images of Yugi the pharaoh had left were of the Seal taking him… His harsh words as they dueled… His soul vanishing again, because Yami had been too selfish to lose and let his own soul be claimed… Yugi striking him…

The pharaoh curled into a ball and wept for a profound sense of loss. But he couldn't even recall what it was that he was missing.

He trembled alone in the cold and despair, his body throbbing with pain.

Tortured screams ripped from his throat as the shadows engulfed him, tearing at his soul. But he no longer bothered to struggle.

Because he'd failed.

He was selfish and wicked and worthless and he deserved it.

And because it was what Yugi wanted.

_Ours,_ the spirits purred. _Ours to break, in heart, spirit, and mind_.


	13. Chapter 13

**So, hopefully you'll be a little happier with this chapter than the last one. xD Since I had one unsigned review for the last chapter, I'll say "Thanks for the review!" here, seeing as I can't say it in a PM. I really do appreciate feedback.**

**In the last chapter, someone asked if this is how I imagine all of Yami's time in the puzzle passing. I'm not sure how many people really care, but if anyone else was curious, yes. I imagined the puzzle being a pretty dismal and evil place without Yugi there to curb it. It kind of explains Yami's need to protect Yugi from the moment he put it together, especially given the psychotic extremes he took it to, and in canon we get a sense that he was aware on at least some level during his captivity. So it kind of makes sense to me.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

Within the confines of the puzzle, time had little meaning. Blind and deprived of the ability to sleep, there was simply no way to gauge its passing. It was just an endless stretch of cold, pain, and misery.

Yugi hadn't come to him since that one time in the beginning.

There was no one but him and the shadows.

He lay on the floor, scarcely breathing. Not that it mattered. He was a spirt, it wasn't like he could die. No matter how much he wished he could. He didn't bother trying to fight the tears that slid from sightless, crimson eyes.

A wisp of shadow stroked his bloodied back. _Oh, come now, little pharaoh. Don't cry,_ they purred.

He gave a shallow gasp of pain.

_It's what _he_ wanted._

He heard Yugi's voice. Felt him beating him.

His joints creaked, sharp pangs of agony shooting through his muscles as he raised his hands to cover his ears, as if that would shield him from the cruel words. Shadows curled around his wrists, a sharp cold biting into his flesh, leaving a thin wound in its wake. They wound their way ever further, slithering up the length of his arm to his shoulders.

He lacked the strength to cry out.

_Hold still, little pharaoh._

The tendrils crept their way up his neck, sliding along his jawbone and up towards his eyes. He jerked his head to the side, squeezing his eyes closed tightly and giving a ragged bark that was as close to a plea for mercy as he could manage.

_Come now. It's not as if they're any use to you._

They moved, arching up along his eyebrow, trailing down the side of his nose, letting blood ooze down their victim's face. He didn't know why he cared. They were right—he couldn't see anything, anyway. And they would heal eventually. Everything did.

Still, the thought sent him into a panic. He resisted, jerking his head from side to side in an attempt to shake them off. But it was all in vain. He gave a strangled rasp as the shadows pried his eyelids apart. His entire body convulsed, mouth opened in a scream that refused to sound. His back arched, chest heaving as he struggled for breath.

He mouthed "Why".

Though the question wasn't voiced, the shadows answered. _You deserve it._

Yugi's voice sounded again.

_I'm sorry…_ Though his charge would never hear the apology again. But it didn't matter. He was alive and safe. And on some level, Yami supposed that was comforting. Still, the thought was difficult to hold onto amidst the pain.

He trembled from cold and fear, heart pounding so furiously he thought it might beat right out of his chest. He curled in on himself, closing his eyes and letting out a strangled sob.

* * *

><p>Completing the puzzle had taken time. Granted, it hadn't even come close to approaching the eight years it had taken him the first time, but neither had he managed it in mere hours as he had when Bandit Keith smashed it. But, of course, then his bond with the pharaoh had been extraordinarily strong, bolstered by their shared triumph in against Pegasus. This time, their link had been weakened by the Seal.<p>

Three months later, a tired grin crossed the boy's face as he fitted the center piece into place.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he felt the metal come to life beneath his fingers, humming with energy.

_Yami?_

Nothing.

_Are you in there?_

Still no answer.

His brow furrowed in concern. The spirit had been similarly silent after the duel with Bandit Keith. And that time, the puzzle hadn't even been in pieces for an entire day… "Alright. I guess I'll just have to find you," he said.

He lay on his bed, allowing his mind to drift into the puzzle.

He padded down the corridor, calling, "Pharaoh?"

He stopped. A sudden wave of panic and sorrow descended upon him like a bucket of ice water. He quickened his steps, feeling his other half's distress mounting as he drew closer. It felt wrong, using his anxiety to track him. But he was in trouble, and Yugi couldn't think of another way to find him quickly.

He pushed open the door of his other half's soul room. He was on his hands and knees, arms quivering with the effort of supporting him, as if he'd tried to pick himself up off the floor but lacked the strength to manage.

Though the physical manifestations of the wounds had dissipated with the shadows, his muscles were tight with pain, his face pale and his eyes blank and unfocused. "Oh, Yami," he murmured sadly.

Slowly, the pharaoh lifted his head, squinting. He'd been in complete blackness for so long… It would take his eyes time to adjust to processing light again.

Yugi crouched in front of him, moving to brush a bang out of the pharaoh's eyes.

The spirit turned his head, drawing in a sharp breath and bracing himself for a blow.

Yugi pulled back, coming to sit cross-legged in front of Yami. He asked, "Do… Do you know who I am?" He kept his tone carefully neutral. The last thing Yami needed was to be made to feel guilty if he didn't recognize him.

"Of course. You've… You've come to punish me again," he murmured, refusing to meet Yugi's eyes.

"What?"

"I'm sorry… So sorry," he murmured pleadingly, drawing further into himself as he came to rest on his knees, wrapping his arms around himself.

Yugi's brow furrowed. "I didn't…" he began, trailing off. The pharaoh had begun to scratch his left arm and his eyes were squeezed shut. Finally, he asked quietly, "What do you mean 'again'?"

He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but he quickly clamped his jaw shut again, drawing in a harsh, shuddering breath through his nose. The spirits shoulders slumped as he began to weep, biting down on his tongue to silence the sobs that threatened to break forth. Unable to recount what had happened, he projected the memory over the mind link.

Yugi exhaled slowly, tears pooling in his own eyes as the vision of his image striking the pharaoh played itself out in his mind's eye.

Yami repeated brokenly, "Sorry…" Over and over, each time twisting a knife deeper into Yugi's heart.

Unsure of what else to do, Yugi closed the distance between them and wrapped the spirit in a hug. Yami stiffened and moved to push him away. "It's okay. It wasn't me," he murmured.

Yami shook his head. "N-no. Warm… Don't deserve…"

"It's okay," Yugi repeated as the spirit moved to pull away again.

The warmth of the boy's touch was steadily driving away the freezing cold of the shadows. But he deserved the cold and the dark and the pain. All the same, he slumped against Yugi's shoulder, not possessing the will to try to distance himself again.

"It wasn't me. It was a trick. Just an awful, cruel trick." He rubbed the spirit's back in an effort to soothe him.

_But you hate me_. Yugi got the distinct feeling that the thought wasn't meant to be shared, but Yami's emotions were so chaotic that he couldn't stop things from slipping through the link.

Yugi sighed heavily. "You made a mistake, Yami. That's all." He slid a hand beneath the spirit's chin, tilting his head so their eyes met. "No one's perfect. I was never really angry, but if it makes you feel better to hear it, I forgive you."

"But…"

"Let me show you." He closed his eyes, projecting the memories of his grief upon finding the puzzle shattered. Late nights spent laboring over it in favor of doing his homework. The crushing need to get the spirit back.

Yami's brow furrowed, confusion clouding his eyes.

"How could I hate you after all those times you saved me?"

"I never…" He blinked. There was something there, but for the life of him the spirit couldn't figure out what it was. "I didn't…"

"You don't remember, do you?"

Yami looked away guiltily. Yugi could feel his self-loathing.

"It's okay," he said for what felt like the thousandth time. At a loss, he sat in silence, holding the pharaoh. Last time, it had been enough. But it was becoming clearer that this time that wouldn't be the case. "It's okay."

But gradually, he felt his other half relaxing, exhaustion overtaking everything else. He leaned his head against Yugi's shoulder, eyelids drooping. "The shadows," he sniffled. "They… They don't let me sleep."

"I won't let them come back," he promised.

Yami was still confused by kindness his other half had shown him. Memories of hateful accusations continued to sound, but he was so tired... So tired of pain. And this Yugi was so gentle, and so warm…

"We'll fix this," he said as the spirit finally succumbed to sleep. "I promise."

He allowed memories to trickle over their link, hoping that perhaps they would reach the pharaoh in his dreams.

Only once he was sure the pharaoh wouldn't wake did Yugi allow his own tears to fall.


	14. Chapter 14

**So Yami takes his first step on the road to recovery. Part of me really, desperately wanted Kaiba to be the one to help him, but I just couldn't come up with a way to make it work. So this is the alternative I came up with. Let me know what you think. I hadn't really intended for Solomon to show up much in this fic... I don't know, I guess I find him and Yugi kind of difficult to write. But, here he is.**

**I had another anonymous reviewer, so I'll say "thanks" here, since I can't send you a PM letting you know that your comments are appreciated. As far as the question of why the pharaoh ended up playing the Seal, I do have my own interpretation of it. I don't buy the whole "my anger got the better of me" bit. I think there's more to it than that. I think that playing the Seal seemed like the only way to win, and there's a part of Yami that's truly, deeply afraid to lose. Essentially, it's the same drive to win at all costs that made him willing to send Kaiba falling to his death in Duelist Kingdom. It's one of the striking differences between him and Yugi, but it makes sense to me. Yugi's played tons of games, won some, lost some, and nothing catastrophic's ever happened. He plays because he likes to play. Yami, on the other hand, is accustomed to playing games with ridiculously high stakes. If he loses, he or his loved ones will usually end up either injured, dead, or soulless. Even though in his duel with Rafael, that wasn't the case, I imagine he's so used to losing being so, completely not an option that his knee-jerk reaction is to do whatever he needs to, even if it meant going against Yugi's wishes and playing a card that he knew could be dangerous. I hope that makes sense!**

**Anyway, read and review please!**

**~Pleurez**

"Grandpa?" Yugi's voice was hesitant as he made his way into the kitchen, the newly reassembled puzzle hanging around his neck.

The older man's eyes shifted to the clock. He turned around, remarking, "You're not usually up this early on a Sunday. Is everything alright?"

Yugi shook his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I dunno," he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "'S complicated." He'd been up most of the night, struggling to make sense of what'd happened with Yami. Tired as he was, he supposed at first it seemed like a good idea to see what his grandpa had to say. But now, faced with the reality of having to explain something even he wasn't sure he understood… He wasn't sure.

"I see you've finished the puzzle," Solomon noted.

A nod.

Or perhaps he'd just begun to doze off…

The older man gave a light chuckle, setting a mug down on the table. "I think you need this more than I do."

Yugi wrinkled his nose a little. As much as he liked caffeine, he hadn't been able to acquire a taste for coffee. Sure, he'd drink it if he was desperate, but only after it'd been drowned in too much cream and sugar to be recognizable.

Solomon probed, "The way you've been fretting over it, I'd have thought you'd be happier that the puzzle's fixed." It would have been a lie to say that the single-mindedness with which Yugi had tackled the task of reassembling the puzzle hadn't worried him just a little bit. Most nights, he'd found his grandson asleep at his desk, pieces of the puzzle still clutched in his hands. By the same token, though, he also knew that it was much more than a simple game, so he hadn't interfered beyond insisting that Yugi ate regular meals and made at least some effort to keep his grades up.

And even that, well… Some may have called him irresponsible, but Solomon firmly believed that there was some things that were far more important than school.

Yugi sighed, violet eyes shifting to the puzzle.

"It's the spirit," he finally ventured, scrutinizing his grandpa closely. He'd always been pretty open minded, but part of Yugi couldn't help but fear that all this time his grandpa was just humoring him. But there was nothing but curiosity in Solomon's face. "He's… He's not…" He struggled, searching for the right way to phrase it. "I mean… I guess he's in pretty bad shape…"

Solomon's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't…" He turned his eyes skyward. "Promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

"Yugi, with everything that's happened since you put that puzzle together, I think I'll believe just about anything." Certainly, it had all been a bit hard to swallow at first. But after the Duelist Kingdom ordeal, it had been impossible to deny that powers beyond either of their understanding were at work.

"He… He calls them 'the shadows'… When the puzzle's broken and we're not linked they… they hurt him. I don't know how or why, but they do…" He closed his eyes, trying to banish the image of his other half, weak and trembling on the floor of his soul room. "Last time, I was able to help him. But now…"

His throat constricted, his lower lip quivering dangerously. He tried to force it back—he didn't want to cry. But his voice was raw as he continued, "Now he's… he's _scared_ of me. He thinks _I_ want to hurt him…" He swiped at his eyes. It was stupid—he shouldn't be crying. He should have been staying strong, the way the pharaoh had always been strong for him.

Solomon sighed heavily. He pulled a chair up next to his grandson, putting an arm around his shoulders, offering his silent support.

Yugi leaned against him, ranting, "He doesn't remember _anything_, Grandpa! Just… Just when we argued. I want to help him. But how can I if he's afraid of me?"

His grandpa remained silent for a moment, mulling it over. He ventured, "You know, I seem to remember you two having a problem like this once before."

"Huh?"

"Except it was the other way around, wasn't it?"

"I was never…" Yugi stopped himself, eyes widening as the realization hit him. "Duelist Kingdom…"

Solomon nodded. "Whatever happened between the two of you, you managed to overcome it then. I have every confidence you can do it again."

Yugi wasn't quite convinced. Last time, the only reason they'd worked through the issue was because there had been a pressing need. Frankly, Yugi was hoping they would be able to go a while without there being another threat to anyone's soul.

"Why don't you let me talk to him?"

Yugi looked back at the puzzle. "He won't remember you," he said softly. Or, at least he was pretty sure that was the case… Though, maybe it wasn't a terrible idea. At least Yugi knew Yami wouldn't have any _bad _memories of his grandpa. As far as he knew, the two of them had never actually spoken.

_Yami, _he prodded gently, wincing as he felt his other half's sudden unease. _Yami…?_

_I'm here_, came the tentative response.

_Do you remember Grandpa?_

_I… I don't know._ He thought he might have seen him in his dreams… And he couldn't very well dream of a man he'd never seen before. But, his dreams had been full of things that didn't make sense…

_Well… I… He'd like to talk to you. Do you think you feel well enough?_

Suddenly, the distant expression was gone from Yugi's face and his soft, violet eyes were replaced with those of a sharper crimson. His face was a ghostly white, his breaths harsh gasps. It was fortunate Yugi had been seated—his vision blurred and he felt himself falling back, slumping against the back of the chair.

Assuming control had taken more energy than he ought to have expended, but he wasn't in a position to deny Yugi anything.

The chair, knocked of balance by the suddenness of his fall, began to tip backwards. He knew he should have tried to grab something, but his arms felt as if they were made of lead. He braced himself for impact with the floor, but it never came.

Solomon's arm shot out to steady the chair.

Hazy, red eyes turned to him. "S'rry," he slurred, struggling to try to keep himself upright.

He flinched as he felt an arm on his back. Pity flickered across the old man's face as the spirit quivered beneath his touch. "Don't be afraid." Though his words seemed to do little to set him at ease. "Listen. You should lay on the couch." The pharaoh's head began to loll to the side again, and Solomon would be much more comfortable once he was lying down, rather than at risk of sliding right out of the chair.

He slid an arm beneath his legs, lifting him up off the chair. He heard the spirit's breath hitch, but he wasn't well enough to struggle. "It's alright," he soothed, grateful for the years of unloading new shipments in the shop that had allowed him to maintain his strength.

Solomon lowered the spirit onto the couch. "Rest for a while."

"S'rry," he breathed again.

"I didn't ask you to come out to yell at you."

Yami's brow furrowed. "But…"

"From what I've heard, you're quite the duelist."

The spirit mumbled, "Huh?"

There was a twinkle in Solomon's eyes as he said, "It's been a while since I've had a chance to play. How about a friendly game, hm? No stakes or god cards or holograms. Just our cards and a pencil and paper."

Yami made a noncommittal noise. He wondered if he was hallucinating, but before he could think too hard about it he ended up drifting off.

* * *

><p>Solomon drew his opening hand, observing his opponent carefully. He was still visibly uncomfortable, but having something else to focus on seemed to have taken some of the edge off his anxiety.<p>

Yami moved around the cards in his hand, trying to put them in groups that made sense. Grateful to have somewhere else to focus his eyes, he said softly, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He set a monster face down in defense mode and laid two cards face down.

The pharaoh drew in a shaky breath. "I… I was supposed to protect your grandson. Instead I caused him harm." He placed a monster of his own in defense mode.

"You made a mistake," Solomon said matter-of-factly. "And you fixed it. How could we hold it against you after everything you've done for us?" He looked down at the table, eyes narrowing a little. "I hope you're not planning on going easy on me! I may be old, but I'm not senile yet!"

"But I haven't…"

"You have." He went on the offensive, placing a monster in attack mode and destroying Yami's monster. "You might not remember right now, but you've done a lot for everyone, especially Yugi." He set another card. "You're a strategist. Why would I lie?"

Yami frowned. Why indeed… He didn't answer. He just placed another monster on the field and placed down a trap card. On the surface, there didn't seem to be anything Solomon had to gain from deceit. But, as he searched his mind for any possible redeeming act, he came up blank.

"What's the earliest memory you have of you and Yugi?"

Yami was quiet for a long while, brow creased in concentration. Of course he remembered the brilliant light and warmth when he'd first been set free. But at the time, Yugi had been completely unaware of his existence, so he supposed that didn't count… He murmured, "We were atop a castle… We were dueling someone…" He paused, searching for the name. Why could he remember the name? He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "He… He stood on the ledge, so that if I attacked the blast would knock him backwards, and he would fall to his death. Yugi… He begged me to stop. But I wasn't going to… I almost ordered the attack, but then he was able to take control away from me."

He looked up from the table, meeting Solomon's eyes for the first time. The elderly man was shocked to see the extent of the grief etched into their depths. "I scared him. I betrayed his trust. He told me to stop, and I acted against his wishes. Just like…" He stopped, looking away. Just like when he'd played the card that had stolen Yugi's soul away. Again, his charge had pleaded with him not to do it… With a bitter curl of the lip, he said, "He would've been better off if he'd taken the puzzle apart then and there."

All the same, a shiver ran down the pharaoh's spine as he contemplated the fate that awaited him the moment the puzzle was disassembled.

His monster attacked and Solomon flipped over his trap card.

"Do you remember why you did it?"

A shake of the head. But it didn't matter. There was no excuse.

Solomon winked at him. "I won't tell you—I think it will be more meaningful if you discover the reason for yourself. But I will tell you, your heart was in the right place."

Yami's eyes remained fixed on his hand. He tried to recall the whole event. The name of his opponent, their location… But all of it was gone. He didn't remember anything other than the end, with Yugi on his knees, trembling with fright and in tears. "It doesn't matter. I was meant to protect him and I failed. It is inexcusable."

_I risked my life for you. And how did you repay me? By gambling with my soul_.

Yugi's venomous words from that encounter played themselves over and over again. All his anger and hatred… He shook his head, trying to clear it of the memory. This couldn't be real. He couldn't be sitting there, playing cards with Yugi's grandfather. Yugi couldn't have put the puzzle again together—he'd sworn he wouldn't.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Solomon reached across the table, taking hold of his hand. "Breathe," he instructed. He gave a sad smile. "I'll stop the interrogation. But by now you must realize there's so much more to what happened than what you remember. Promise me you won't give up on uncovering the truth, alright?"

Yami nodded.

"Alright, then. Enough talk. We have a duel to finish!"


	15. Chapter 15

**So, this chapter's kind of short. I guess it's main purpose is to give a clearer picture of the current relationship between Yami and Yugi. I meant to have it up yesterday, but life got in the way and I found it a little difficult to write. I guess I hadn't intended for the story to continue the way it has. I'd planned on having it end kind of along the lines of "What's at Stake", with the damage done by his time in the puzzle resolved fairly quickly. But then I thought about it, and between the difference in the time period the puzzle was broken for in the two situations and the amount of emotional turmoil Yami was in before it broke this time, I figured it just wouldn't make sense. But I guess since this isn't what I had initially intended, I don't have as clear of an idea of what I want in future chapters as I did for earlier parts in the story, so I'm finding it a bit more challenging to write.**

**Anyway, just want to give you guys a heads up! The new semester's going to be starting this week, so I'll be finding myself with less free time to write. I'll still try to update regularly, but I probably won't be able to consistently get a new chapter up every few days the way I've been trying to lately. So if the next update is a bit slower, please be patient!**

**Thank you to my anonymous reviewer! I appreciate the feedback, and once again, I'll say it here since I can't send you a PM.**

**Please read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

"You've got your work cut out for you," Solomon remarked as Yugi took control of their body again.

He nodded, brow creased in frustration. He'd watched Yami's duel with his grandfather, hoping that the familiar activity would bring back some of the pharaoh's former spark, but he'd been positively timid. Even though he'd won in the end, he'd spent most of the duel playing defensively and he'd pulled a lot of punches.

"I tried to show him memories," Yugi sighed. "But I don't think it did much."

The older man shook his head. "No, I don't imagine it would have. I think he'll have to rediscover most of it himself." It was natural that he'd be hesitant to trust Yugi's memories—it was a logical defense for someone whose mind had already been tampered with. "But, that doesn't mean you can't lead him to them."

"I guess," he murmured, holding the puzzle tightly. After so many months without it, there was something comforting about feeing its weight, as if he had to convince himself that it was really there. He frowned contemplatively. "I guess I should call the gang and tell them I won't be able to meet them at the arcade…"

_Because of me?_

Yugi winced. He hadn't meant for Yami to hear him…

_No_.

Except, he'd always been a really lousy liar, and he could sense that his answer had done nothing to ease the pharaoh's guilt.

_I'm just tired today, that's all._

_Because of me._ It wasn't a question this time.

_No!_ Yugi rest his elbows on the table, trying to come up with a suitable response. Finally, he settled on, _I've had a lot of homework lately._ _Don't worry about it. Just rest, alright?_

_But…_

_You have nothing to feel guilty about. I promise!_

Yami let the issue drop, but Yugi could still feel guilt and doubt pouring over across their link, no matter how much he knew Yami must have been trying to control it. He sighed heavily. He knew staying home was best. If he showed up with the puzzle around his neck, they'd all want to talk to Yami, and he knew the spirit wasn't strong enough for that. Besides, he didn't know what, if any, memories he would have of them, and he certainly didn't want to risk overwhelming him…

But on the other hand, the last thing he needed was for this to reinforce Yami's idea that he was some kind of burden… He couldn't help but wonder if there was any _good_ option.

With a bit of a smirk, Solomon remarked, "For the moment, how about making yourself useful! There's a new shipment waiting downstairs and I don't think my poor old back can handle it."

Yugi scoffed, "Come on, Grandpa! We both know there's nothing wrong with your back." Though, as soon as he heard the word "shipment", he'd made a dash for the stairs. Between the recent releases of an upgraded model of Kaiba Corp's duel disks and booster packs filled with all kinds of new cards, he couldn't get to the boxes fast enough.

All in the name of good business, naturally. He couldn't very well work part time in the game shop without making sure he was familiar with all their products, now could he?

Solomon shook his head as he followed his grandson down the stairs. "Just remember, some of that stuff does have to make it onto the shelves!"

_See? I'm too busy to go to the arcade, anyway, _Yugi prodded. Even if taking inventory and stocking the shelves wouldn't take all day, he was itching to go through some of the new cards and see if he could update his deck with any of them. Nothing major, but it always paid to stay informed, especially since rumors had begun to circulate about a new Kaiba Corp tournament in the works.

A wave of confusion washed over him as he passed a card in a frame—the torn Blue Eyes, taped together. It wasn't playable anymore, but that didn't even come close to diminishing its value as a gift from a dear friend.

He stopped to look at it, venturing, _Do you remember that?_

More confusion. _I…_ There was something there, but it was all a fog. There was a duel… That face he couldn't put a name to—the same person he'd nearly killed atop the castle… And there were people watching… He recognized the blond as the one who'd railed at him after he'd lost Yugi to the Seal. But the others... _I played Exodia…_

_That's right! Anything else?_

The spirit huffed in frustration. It was right there… He could feel it, lingering just beyond his reach. There were a few little things, mostly he could recall other cards he'd played. But he couldn't put names to the faces, or remember why he'd been dueling in the first place. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what the torn card had to do with anything—he knew the Blue Eyes hadn't been in his deck…

_I didn't think…_ He shook his head, unable to make sense of it. He hadn't realized he'd lost so much. He found it becoming harder and harder to know what was real…

_It'll come back,_ Yugi promised.

He felt the spirit's presence withdrawing, though he wasn't sure if it was from distress or if he was too weak to continue to maintain a strong presence. Either way, he hoped he was resting rather than continuing to berate himself.

He felt the spirit again as he was going through his deck. It was strange. At one time, Yami would have thought nothing of offering his opinions on various cards, or commenting on a certain strategy. Now, he could sense that the spirit was interested, but he watched from a distance, like a child who wanted to talk to a teacher, but was too shy to ask.

_I know you're there_, he prodded.

He felt the spirit's guilt and could almost see him flinch. Yugi felt him growing more distant.

_I didn't say it was a bad thing,_ he sighed.

Uncertainty.

_I just… I guess I was wondering why you haven't said anything yet._

He'd always liked discussing cards and strategies with Yami—it meant that the spirit's heart was in their deck just as much as his own.

_It isn't my place to intrude,_ he returned. He'd spent most of the day holed up in his soul room, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He didn't know what had spurred Yugi to complete the puzzle again, but he was grateful for the reprieve from the darkness and torment. The least he could do in return was to inconvenience Yugi with his presence as little as possible.

_It's not an intrusion,_ Yugi returned patiently.

Yami liked this Yugi. He ached to believe it—to chalk everything that stood between them up to manipulations of the puzzle. But he knew it was a fact that the boy's soul had been lost because of him. He knew he'd gone against Yugi's wishes and broken the trust between them. He couldn't fathom anyone just forgiving that kind of betrayal.

He began to withdraw again.

_I wanted to talk to you, anyway,_ Yugi threw out.

A pause.

_I… I have to go to school tomorrow,_ he began.

_I don't understand._

_Well, I mean… I kind of can't afford to take the day off, so—_

_Yes. But what is there to talk about?_

Yugi sighed. _It's just… Everyone's going to be there. Will you be alright if I bring the puzzle, or—_

_You would bring the puzzle to school?_

Yugi's brow furrowed, unsure of what to make of the shock in the pharaoh's voice. _Well, yeah. I mean, I always used to… But if you think it'll be too much for you, I don't have to…_

_The puzzle is yours to do with as you wish. I will accept whatever decision you make._

Yugi bit back a groan of frustration. _Yami—_

_I will be fine. It is not my place to tell you what to do._ The pharaoh's tone was firm, and Yugi felt him beginning to pull away again. All their troubles stemmed from him having disregarded Yugi's wishes in the past. This time, he'd resolved to be better—whatever Yugi decided, he'd accept, and he would try to remain as unobtrusive as possible.

Yugi wanted to tell the pharaoh that he _wished_ he would just give a straight answer one way or the other, but instead he let the spirit go without further debate. Yami had a stubborn streak a mile wide, and getting him to do or say anything once his mind was set against it was often damn near impossible. And besides, he figured making demands wasn't the best way to get through to him at the moment.

With a quiet sigh, he murmured, "Maybe seeing everyone will trigger something…" Besides, it was probably the best environment for Yami to see them—with time for socializing limited, they wouldn't really be able to expect to talk to him, anyway. And it would make him feel better to have the puzzle with him—if he left it at home, he'd probably be too worried about it to focus much on class, anyway.

All the same, he sighed, "I hope I'm making the right choice."


End file.
